When We Talk About Liberal Values, What Do We Mean?

Feminist protesters in New Mexico (left) and Ramat Gan (right), carrying signs saying "we are not going back". The right to speak, to assemble, to protest, to live free from discrimination, all at the core of liberal values.

In today’s political climate, “liberal values” are invoked by too many actors, from too many ideological perspectives, with too many conflicting interpretations. For us at LIBRAEL, liberalism isn’t a slogan or a tribal badge. It’s a moral and practical philosophy grounded in the conviction that all people are created equal. It demands that we protect the vulnerable and the different, champion justice, and always struggle to create better, fairer societies.

"Our liberalism insists on the moral imperative to care: for minorities, for immigrants, for LGBTQ+ individuals, for those left out, and for those whose rights exist on paper but not yet in practice."

So what do we mean when we talk about liberal values?

We mean democracy - not just as a system of voting, but as a culture of civic participation, ideological pluralism,

and the peaceful contest of ideas. We mean civil rights and civil liberties, including the right to speak, to assemble, to protest, to live free from discrimination. We mean a commitment to the rule of law, to due process, to strong institutions, and to holding power accountable - especially our own.

We also mean justice. The ability to live free means little without real protections for those who are different. Our liberalism insists on the moral imperative to care: for minorities, for immigrants, for LGBTQ+ individuals, for those left out, and for those whose rights exist on paper but not yet in practice. A liberal society should take pride in the progress it achieves - but it must never stop striving toward “a more perfect union.”

"We believe that to stand for Israel without standing for liberalism is to abandon what has made the Zionist dream so powerful in the first place."

That’s why we believe liberal values must be part of the conversation around Israel’s future. We believe that to stand for Israel without standing for liberalism is to abandon what has made the Zionist dream so powerful in the first place: a persecuted, haunted people returning to their ancestral homeland, reaching a hand for peace with the Arabs who have lived in the Holy Land for centuries, and building a thriving democracy.

To stand for liberalism without recognizing the rights of the Jewish people to national self-determination - just like any other people - is to betray liberalism’s own promise of equality and freedom for all.

Arabs, Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem. Israel's national identity must be expressed in ways that are inclusive of non-Jews as well.

We believe Israel can - and must - be both: a thriving liberal democracy and the nation-state of the Jewish people. This is not a contradiction. It is not a compromise. While we know some people feel otherwise - and we engage in respectful yet fierce debates with those who are liberal but not Zionist, or Zionist but not liberal - we believe liberal Zionism is true to the original Zionist vision, as Israel’s founders imagined it.

Like any nation, Israel has the right to define itself through a national identity - in this case, a Jewish one - but that identity must be expressed in ways that are inclusive of non-Jews as well. The existence of a Jewish state should not, and does not, come at the expense of equal rights for Arab citizens, Druze, Christians, or anyone else. In fact, liberal Zionism demands those rights. Ze’ev Jabotinsky himself envisioned a future in which Jews and Arabs shared equal representation in Israel’s government.

"Liberal Zionism is committed to a future where both peoples - Israelis and Palestinians - can live in dignity, liberty, security, and prosperity."

The destruction in Gaza. The objectives of removing the threat of Hamas and bringing back the hostages does not mean we should not address the situation with empathy.

Of course, we cannot speak of liberal values in Israel without addressing the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We acknowledge the deep pain and suffering experienced by Palestinians, especially in light of the War in Gaza. The loss, trauma, and displacement are real - and the objectives of removing the threat of Hamas and bringing back the hostages does not mean we should not address the situation with empathy and urgency. Liberal Zionism is committed to a future where both peoples - Israelis and Palestinians - can live in dignity, liberty, security, and prosperity. As Israelis we know it is hard to achieve, and pursuing that will have to be made with eyes wide open and feet to the ground, yet this is one of our principles.

At LIBRAEL, we work to build a bridge between liberal Americans and liberal Israelis - especially at a time when that bridge is fraying, and so many believe they have nothing in common with those on the other side. We speak a language rooted in shared values: democracy, equality, justice, and freedom. We refuse to give up on either side of that bridge to extremists who say we must choose between our commitment to Israel and our commitment to liberalism.

We believe we need both. We believe you can fight for a more just Israel because you love it, and we believe that liberal values are not foreign to Zionism - they are part of Israel’s founding DNA. It’s time we reclaimed that truth.