Those who speak about fascism in Israel are not only primarily on the political extreme Left, but are also almost exclusively from one demographic group; veteran (Israeli-born), secular Ashkenazi Jews. They often claim attribute that Israeli “fascism” is caused by other distinct groups, such as religious settlers, Russian or Sephardic immigrants.63:{"position":6,"content":"$64"} 65:{"position":7,"content":"Is their imagined community of antifascist freedom fighters partly a long-term result of the Holocaust?"} 66:{"position":8,"content":"FASCISM HAS always been part of the rude discourse in Israel. In the 1930s and 1950s the ancestors of today’s labor party often heaped scorn on the “fascist” tendencies of Israel’s right-wing Revisionist and Herut parties."} 67:{"position":9,"content":"Menachem Begin’s military parades were “fascist” while the uniformed communist Palmachniks (who had equal love for their military parade grounds) were just good socialist patriots. Later, cries of fascism became part and parcel of the academic discourse, with Israel’s leading philosopher Yeshayahu Leibowtiz referring to some Israeli Jews as “Judeo-nazis.”"} 68:{"position":10,"content":"The fear of fascism in Israel should be viewed as an invented Israeli identity, like international studies professor Benedic

Israel’s crude discourse on local fascism

Left-wing activists stymie debate by throwing around epithets like "fascist" and "anti-democratic."