Finally had a chance to read @abrahamjoseph fascinating personal essay/profile of Yehuda Hakohen — though I don’t think I agree with the opinion framing.

Few of thoughts below but it’s well done, very honest, and worth your time. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-bizarre-rise-of-the-manhattan-prep-school-gangster-turned-enigmatic-west-bank-rabbi?ref=home

The big caveat is that like many, I had my run with HaKohen when I was a student at Hunter circa 2015.

I found him to be a vile chauvinist. It sounds like he adopted more progressive lingo but his core idea is not equality for all but: this is my land but I’ll let you join me.

Two things I’ll never forget: 1) he bragged about owning a gun and occasionally “beefing” with Palestinians. Think about that from a systemic view. As a settler Jew, the entire IDF’s firepower is on his side. Doesn’t take much of a gangster to “beef” when you know that well.

2) when I mentioned I’m from Israel, Hakohen scoffed, said he bets I’m from Tel Aviv (I am), and went on to call himself a “mountain Jew” and dared me to compare our Jewish lineages. That’s scary. It’s not Judaism as a civilization but Judaism as blood purity. That’s jedunazim.

I eventually stormed out of the event. I wrote what I thought was a thoughtful yet obviously angry post on the Hillel’s event Facebook page. HaKohen commented and the tone was bullying and in that context punching down. I eventually deleted my comment and disengaged w/ the group.

The point is not that I’m a victim but that when part of the appeal is the gangster pose, with the leaning back in the chair and declaring ownership of land by blood, violence is in the air — regardless of talking point. Because that’s how toxic masculinity works.

I also don’t buy the idea that Hakohen has a growing movement or any impact on the playability of the one state solution (Netanyahu and BDS did that). He is a good college speaker — provocative but respectable. Could a Palestinian say he has a gun cause he beefs with Jews? No.

I think @abrahamjoseph did the right thing to write it from his perspective and his affinity. I actually wish I could hear more about that. Cause I’m that guy. I watch movies about people joining cults and I can see myself lured.

. @abrahamjoseph writes that at the end he didn’t “join” HaKohen. But what does joining even looks like? Probably moving to the West Bank. If only action required is participating in the number one threat to Palestinian self determination & security, its romanticized colonialism.

@abrahamjoseph, thank you for being so forward in this. I know writing about these issues is really hard, particularly with such a wedge persona within the wedge issue.

Oh last last last thought: we can argue about the idea that the “center” collapsed on Israel and Palestine. That’s definitely true if the only politics of the occupation are the Zionist / Israeli-American politics of the occupation. That’s not the case though.