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Ari Shavit
Ari Shavit
Ari Shavit
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Ari Shavit (Hebrew: ארי שביט; born 16 November 1957) is an Israeli reporter and writer. Shavit was a senior correspondent at the left-of-center Israeli newspaper Haaretz before he resigned when a pattern of sexual misconduct came to public attention.

Key Information

A self-described left-wing journalist[1] and anti-occupation peacenik,[2] Shavit is the author of the 2013 New York Times Best Seller My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel.

Biography

[edit]

Shavit was born in Rehovot, Israel, and studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His father was a scientist and his mother was an artist. Some of his ancestors were early leading Zionists.[3]

Shavit was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1975. He volunteered as a paratrooper in the Paratroopers Brigade. He served as a squad leader[4] and took part in various raids against armed Palestinian organizations and camps in Lebanon, including Operation Litani.

Career

[edit]

Known for his left-wing journalism,[1] Shavit was a columnist for Haaretz from 1995.[5] His work has also appeared in The New Yorker,[6] The New York Times,[7] and Politico.[8]

Shavit described himself as an "antioccupation peacenik".[2] He was particularly critical of right-wing Israeli politicians, such as Avigdor Lieberman, who he argued is only loyal to Russia and to Putin.[9] Shavit was also critical of Miri Regev, describing her as 'anti-culture', and of Ayelet Shaked, describing her as 'anti-democracy'.[10]

He has for many years been a critic of Benjamin Netanyahu. Although admitting that Netanyahu is highly intelligent, Shavit argued that Netanyahu "scorns [US] Democrat politicians and liberal intellectuals... as weaklings." Shavit also castigated Netanyahu for not being "a civil leader who truly cares for the welfare of his citizens. He [Netanyahu] is unconcerned by social justice."[11]

In 2013, Shavit released My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel. It was a New York Times Best Seller[12] and received widespread acclaim. The New York Times listed My Promised Land in its "100 Notable Books of 2013",[13] The Economist named it as one of the best books of 2013,[14] it received the Gerrard and Ella Berman Memorial Award in History from the Jewish Book Council,[15][16] and it won the Natan Book Award.[17] In September 2014, Shavit traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to accept the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award[18] in nonfiction for My Promised Land, and delivered a talk at the Cleveland City Club[19] about the necessity of American leadership in the Middle East. The book received many positive reviews, as well as criticism from both the left, including from Norman Finkelstein,[20][21] and from the right, including from Martin Kramer.[22][23]

Resignation

[edit]

In 2016, charges of sexual misconduct involving groping of women in the workplace surfaced, forcing Shavit to apologize and resign from his positions at Haaretz and Channel 10.[24]

Shavit was temporarily suspended from the Haaretz newspaper after he was accused of sexual harassment by American-Jewish journalist Danielle Berrin ('Hollywood Jew'), who wrote a cover story on the subject in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal.[25] Shavit, initially claimed the incident was merely flirting, saying "I apologize from the bottom of my heart for this misunderstanding. I did not mean to say anything unwelcome to Berrin".[26] In response, Shelly Yachimovich wrote: "I don't know if Berrin accepted his apology, but I didn't... It's not like he accidentally stepped on somebody's toe."[27] In response to the allegations, Shavit announced that he was taking time off from his journalism.[28]

A member of the staff of the Jewish organization J Street then stepped forward to say that while she was arranging speaking engagements for Shavit he had caressed her hand and propositioned her with the suggestion that they go out for drinks.[29][30] Shavit then resigned.[29][31]

Bibliography

[edit]

References

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[edit]
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Ari Shavit

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from Grokipedia
Ari Shavit is an Israeli , , and political commentator who gained prominence as a senior correspondent and columnist for the left-leaning newspaper , where he analyzed Israel's security dilemmas, technological innovations, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a Zionist yet critical lens. Born in , Shavit served as a in the Israel Defense Forces and studied philosophy at the before entering journalism in the 1980s with the magazine New Outlook and later joining . His 2013 book My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of examines key episodes in Zionist history, highlighting triumphs such as state-building and scientific advancements alongside tragedies like the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians from Lydda, framing Israel's founding as a necessary yet ethically fraught enterprise amid Arab rejectionism and existential threats. Shavit's writings, while influential among liberal Zionists for confronting uncomfortable historical realities without denial, have drawn criticism for insufficient contextualization of events like Lydda relative to broader wartime dynamics. In October 2016, Shavit resigned from and Channel 10 television after multiple female journalists accused him of and assault, prompting him to acknowledge personal errors and withdraw from public roles amid event cancellations.

Early Life and Background

Family Origins and Childhood

Ari Shavit was born in 1957 in , a university town in central known for its scientific community centered around the Weizmann . His father worked as a in the local research environment, while his mother was an artist, reflecting a household oriented toward intellectual and creative pursuits rather than overt political activism. The family maintained a liberal approach to upbringing, without strong ideological impositions, amid the post-independence era of Israeli society. Shavit's ancestry traces to early Zionist pioneers; his great-grandfathers embraced in the late , and his grandparents—descendants of British Jewish leader Herbert Bentwich—settled in the coastal settlement of Zichron Ya'akov around 1900, linking the family to the foundational waves of Jewish immigration and land development in pre-state Palestine. This heritage positioned Shavit within a secular Jewish milieu shaped by the ethos of state-building and survival following the 1948 War of Independence, though his immediate family environment emphasized scientific and artistic endeavors over rural communal models like kibbutzim. During his childhood in the and , Shavit experienced Israel's formative years, marked by rapid , immigration absorption, and a collective narrative of resilience against regional threats, influences that permeated the cultural fabric of towns like without direct personal involvement in frontier settlements.

Education and Influences

Shavit studied at the during the 1970s. Prior to and alongside his academic pursuits, Shavit completed mandatory military service as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, an experience that brought him into direct contact with the occupied Palestinian territories. This service profoundly shaped his worldview, confronting him with the complexities of Israel's security challenges and contributing to a shift toward left-leaning, dovish perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Journalistic and Professional Career

Early Positions and Rise

Shavit began his journalistic career in the , contributing articles to Koteret Rashit, a progressive Israeli weekly known for investigative reporting on domestic and . His work there focused on critical examinations of Israeli societal issues, marking his initial foray into print media as a commentator blending factual reporting with analytical insights. In the early 1990s, Shavit shifted toward activism, serving as chairperson of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), a leading organization advocating for democratic reforms and civil liberties amid growing political tensions. During this period, coinciding with the 1993 , he acted as an unofficial advisor to the government on civil rights matters, engaging directly with policy debates on security, occupation, and societal change. This role positioned him at the intersection of activism and public discourse, where he began articulating views on 's internal challenges, including the balance between security imperatives and liberal values. Shavit's prominence grew through this dual engagement, as his commentary during the era—initially supportive but increasingly skeptical amid rising violence—highlighted tensions in Israeli politics and society. By analyzing domestic ramifications of peace efforts, such as civil rights strains from intifada-era policies, he established a reputation for personal-narrative-driven critiques that challenged prevailing leftist optimism without fully aligning with right-wing skepticism. This foundational work laid the groundwork for his evolution into a influential voice on Israel's political landscape.

Work at Haaretz and Media Prominence

Ari Shavit joined in 1995 as a , contributing regularly to the newspaper's opinion pages with analyses of Israel's societal challenges, security dilemmas, and . His columns often explored the tensions between Israel's democratic aspirations and its geopolitical realities, drawing on historical context to argue for a balanced assessment of the country's founding principles and ongoing conflicts. By the early 2000s, Shavit's work had established him as a prominent voice within Israel's center-left intellectual circles, where he critiqued policy failures while affirming the necessity of a in a hostile region. Shavit's contributions extended beyond print, as he served as a commentator on Israel's Channel 10 television, where appearances from the mid-2000s onward allowed him to engage broader audiences with discussions on and domestic . These broadcasts amplified his reach, particularly among international viewers, by framing Israel's strategic decisions—such as military operations and settlement policies—within narratives of existential and moral complexity. His television presence complemented Haaretz output, fostering a public persona that resonated with communities seeking insider perspectives on Israeli resilience amid global scrutiny. In essays published in Haaretz, Shavit advanced a form of liberal , defending Israel's technological and cultural achievements against delegitimization campaigns while urging reforms to address internal divisions and occupation-related ethical concerns. For instance, in pieces like "Confession of a Democratic Zionist," he posited that sustaining required confronting demographic shifts and political extremism without abandoning the state's Jewish character. This approach gained traction in American Jewish circles, where Shavit's writings were cited for bridging pro-Israel advocacy with acknowledgments of policy shortcomings, influencing discussions in outlets like and community forums. His media footprint thus positioned him as a key interpreter of Israel's narrative, emphasizing empirical successes in defense innovation and economic growth alongside calls for strategic introspection.

Resignation and Immediate Fallout

On October 27, 2016, American journalist Danielle Berrin publicly accused Ari Shavit of during a 2014 interview in , alleging that he grabbed the back of her head and attempted to forcibly kiss her in a hotel lobby before inviting her to his room. The following day, October 28, suspended Shavit's scheduled U.S. campus speaking tour, citing its policy against and . A second Israeli woman then came forward on October 30, accusing Shavit of unwanted sexual advances, prompting his immediate resignation that day from his columnist position at and his commentary role at Channel 10 television. Shavit acknowledged the initial allegation against Berrin as misconduct in an apology, stating he had misread the situation but accepted responsibility. In the ensuing days, additional organizations distanced themselves from Shavit; canceled planned events with him, including appearances in , while confirmed his departure would be indefinite amid the emerging pattern of complaints. These cancellations reflected swift institutional backlash in pro-Israel advocacy circles, limiting Shavit's short-term public engagements in the United States.

Major Writings and Publications

Key Books

My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, published in 2013 by Spiegel & Grau, offers a chronological narrative of and Israel's development from the late onward, incorporating interviews, historical documents, diaries, letters, and family stories to examine key events. These include early Zionist settlement efforts in 1897, the 1948 War of Independence with its victories and the expulsion of approximately 50,000 from Lydda on July 12, 1948, post-1967 occupation challenges, and achievements in technology and culture such as the and nuclear project. Shavit's earlier work, Partition, released in 2005, focused on partition as a framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, drawing from historical precedents like the 1947 UN plan that proposed dividing into Jewish and Arab states. In A New Israeli Republic (Hebrew: Bayit Shlishi), published in , Shavit assesses Israel's transition from a unified people to fragmented tribal factions since the , attributing this to demographic shifts, , and cultural divides; he argues for institutional reforms to reconstitute national cohesion and avert existential risks to the state's founding principles. Saving Israel, issued in 2023, extends this analysis by outlining specific pragmatic measures—such as electoral system changes and civic education initiatives—to mitigate internal divisions, strengthen democratic institutions, and safeguard Zionism against both domestic erosion and external pressures like regional conflicts.

Selected Essays and Columns

Shavit's columns in Haaretz during the 1990s and 2000s often explored Israel's strategic deterrence through its nuclear program at Dimona. In the May 13, 2010, piece "The Right to Dimona," he contended that the reactor had reduced the likelihood of full-scale war by creating a balance of terror, though it simultaneously incentivized neighboring states to pursue their own nuclear capabilities, complicating regional stability. Earlier, in "The President's Day" on February 19, 2009, Shavit referenced the foundational Dimona decision under David Ben-Gurion as a precedent for contemporary choices on threats like Iran, emphasizing executive authority in existential security matters. His critiques of policies appeared prominently in Haaretz columns from the 2000s onward, linking expansion to erosion of national legitimacy. The November 18, 2010, column "Settlements Are Destroying " argued that prioritizing outposts over international resolutions and security needs was delegitimizing globally and fracturing its foundational ethos. Following the Second Intifada, Shavit's January 3, 2013, essay "The Settlers' Aim: Occupy " portrayed settler influence as an internal takeover by extremists, predicting collision with democratic realities and forewarning of policy paralysis. In U.S. outlets, Shavit published essays defending 's position amid international pressures like the (BDS) movement, while conceding domestic policy shortcomings. His October 21, 2013, New Yorker piece "Lydda, 1948" detailed the wartime expulsion of Lydda's Arab population as a tragic necessity amid existential threats, blending archival evidence with on-site reporting to contextualize Zionist survival imperatives against Palestinian displacement. Addressing BDS in Haaretz's May 14, 2015, column "Israel Has Abandoned Young U.S. Jews in Fight Against BDS," he faulted Israeli leadership for neglecting diaspora outreach, noting that flawed occupation policies fueled campus activism, yet urged proactive narrative-building over dismissal. Post-2013 columns increasingly wove personal narratives into broader causal analyses of Israeli renewal. In pieces reflecting on communal histories, Shavit highlighted movements' role in reviving socialist , as seen in his examinations of sites like , where early 20th-century pioneers transformed barren land into productive collectives, symbolizing resilience amid modern ideological shifts. These writings exemplified his stylistic fusion of intimate with geopolitical reckoning, avoiding outright optimism for measured appraisal of triumphs and fractures.

Reception of Works

Shavit's 2013 book My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of garnered significant commercial success, debuting as a New York Times bestseller in hardcover nonfiction and political books categories in late 2013. It was named one of the Times' ten best books of the year and among 's 100 most important titles, with reviewers labeling it required reading for understanding modern . The work's appeal extended to American Jewish audiences, promoting a pragmatic that acknowledged historical triumphs alongside ethical dilemmas, thereby shifting discourse away from unnuanced idealism toward empirical realism about Israel's founding and persistence. In pro-Israel and centrist circles, the book was praised for its erudite, non-polemical examination of 's history, confronting brutal episodes like the 1948 Lydda expulsion while reaffirming the state's existential necessity and achievements. A New York Times review highlighted its balance, calling it "the least tendentious book about " that recovers the country's "facticity and grandeur" without ideological blinders, enabling a "genuine confrontation" with contradictions. Similarly, Jerusalem Post commentators lauded Shavit's "undoctrinaire mind" for blending eloquence with unflinching detail, startling readers with its refusal to merely praise or blame. These responses positioned the book as a counter to simplistic anti-Zionist critiques, emphasizing causal factors in 's survival amid regional hostilities. Criticisms emerged from ideological flanks, with left-leaning outlets faulting it for insufficient emphasis on Palestinian perspectives and for overstating perpetual Arab threats, thereby dismissing verifiable peace overtures like the 1949 Lausanne Conference or 2002 Arab League proposals. Such sources, often aligned with advocacy against Israeli policies, argued the narrative reinforced a self-fulfilling myth of endless enmity, potentially entrenching conflict by underplaying Israel's agency in stalled negotiations. From within Zionist debates, some reviewers critiqued Shavit's acceptance of foundational displacements—framed as tragic necessities—as veering into moral equivocation that echoed right-wing justifications, blurring distinctions between liberal and harder-line positions on demographic challenges and past violence. Right-leaning voices, while generally appreciative, occasionally noted the book's amplification of occupation-related guilt as fostering undue internal self-doubt amid ongoing security imperatives. Shavit's columns in Haaretz, blending hawkish realism with policy critiques, elicited parallel divides, earning acclaim for prescience on threats like Iran's nuclear program but rebuke from hardliners for perceived concessions to two-state compromises.

Political and Intellectual Views

Defense of Zionism

Ari Shavit has articulated as an existential imperative rooted in the Jewish people's historical vulnerability, positing that the movement's success in establishing a in 1948 directly countered the perils of life, including recurrent pogroms and expulsions spanning over two millennia. In his 2013 book My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, Shavit frames —the systematic murder of six million by and collaborators between 1941 and 1945—as the culminating catastrophe that rendered Jewish statehood not merely desirable but indispensable for collective survival, arguing that without such a refuge, recurrent annihilation remained a perpetual risk. He contends that 's causal logic derives from this unbroken chain of , transforming passive victimhood into proactive through territorial sovereignty. Shavit emphasizes Israel's empirical accomplishments as vindication of Zionist viability, particularly its resilience amid encirclement by hostile neighbors intent on its destruction, as evidenced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and subsequent invasions in and 1973. Despite these existential threats, Israel evolved from a resource-scarce immigrant society into a global leader in , with high-technology exports comprising over 40% of its total exports by the early and GDP surging from approximately $2,000 in to more than $30,000 by 2013, fueled by post-Six-Day War investments in defense industries that spurred broader economic dynamism. Shavit portrays these gains—sustained alongside a functioning parliamentary democracy with regular elections and an independent judiciary—as improbable triumphs against geographic and demographic odds, underscoring Zionism's capacity to forge prosperity and security where none previously existed. Rejecting post-Zionist ideologies that dilute the Jewish state's core identity in favor of binational or universalist models, Shavit advocates a realist adherence to and military deterrence over speculative utopian arrangements that ignore adversarial realities. He maintains that acknowledging 's inherent contradictions, such as the 1948 displacement of Palestinian Arabs from Lydda, necessitates embracing the enterprise in toto rather than disavowing it, as the alternative—dissolution of Jewish primacy—invites renewed vulnerability without commensurate gains. This stance prioritizes causal fidelity to power dynamics over ideological abstractions, positioning as a pragmatic bulwark against historical recidivism.

Critiques of Israeli Policies

Shavit has argued that unchecked settlement expansion in the constitutes a strategic liability for , primarily due to its demographic implications and potential to undermine the country's Jewish-majority character. In a 2015 Haaretz column, he warned that the settler population, which grew from a few thousand in 1975 to approximately 400,000 by that year, could reach 600,000 to 800,000 by 2025 if trends continued, creating a "toxic demographic-political omelet" that risks transforming into a binational state and eroding Zionist foundations. He described this process as one of three existential threats—alongside democratic erosion and shifting international perceptions—that must be reversed by 2025 to preserve as a modern Jewish , emphasizing that continued expansion would make separation from Palestinian territories irreversible. These concerns align with Shavit's broader critique of occupation policies as unsustainable, framing settlements as an internal "cancer" that cannot endure for another decade without compromising its and viability. In a 2014 Guardian interview promoting his book My Promised Land, he advocated a settlement freeze and phased withdrawal from parts of the to enable a , arguing that while occupation addresses immediate needs amid threats from groups like and , its prolongation invites greater long-term perils by altering demographics and inviting international isolation. Shavit balanced this by acknowledging 's legitimate imperatives, such as countering Iranian influence and regional , but contended that settlement-driven policies deviate from pragmatic by prioritizing ideological expansion over survival. Shavit has also called for internal reforms to bolster Israel's democratic institutions, predating the 2023 protests against proposed judicial changes. He highlighted a shift from a "golden age" of robust —exemplified by Supreme Court decisions under —to populist assaults on , media freedom, and on executive power, which he saw as eroding the liberal democratic framework essential for a . To sustain a Jewish-majority , he urged reversal of these trends through strengthened institutions and societal cohesion, warning that failure would yield a "benighted political system" incompatible with Israel's founding principles. Unlike mainstream left critiques often portraying Israel as inherently undemocratic, Shavit's position emphasized proactive internal renewal to align policy with existential necessities, rather than external moral condemnation.

Perspectives on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Shavit expressed early enthusiasm for the of 1993, viewing them as a framework for a that could reconcile Zionist aspirations with Palestinian national claims through mutual recognition and territorial partition. This stance aligned with his broader advocacy for pragmatic diplomacy, as seen in his support for Israeli withdrawals and negotiations under leaders like and , whom he credited with repeated electoral mandates for peace. By the early 2000s, however, Shavit grew critical of Palestinian leadership's rejection of comprehensive peace offers, including those at the and subsequent Taba talks, attributing the collapse to entrenched rejectionism rather than solely Israeli intransigence. He argued that these refusals, despite Israeli concessions approaching 95% of disputed territories, revealed a deeper unwillingness to accept Jewish , shifting his emphasis from unbridled optimism to a realism tempered by empirical failures of the peace process. This perspective informed his interviews with historians like , where he probed the causal roots of conflict persistence beyond territorial disputes. In his 2013 book My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, Shavit framed partition as an inherent tragedy born of competing national narratives in a land of limited space, yet deemed it the only viable path forward to avert mutual destruction. He portrayed the 1947 UN partition plan and subsequent events as inevitable clashes yielding a Jewish state amid Palestinian displacement, but insisted on the moral and practical necessity of a two-state outcome to sustain Israel's democratic character while granting Palestinians sovereignty—acknowledging the "imperfect" resolution's inescapability despite its painful history. This view underscored his critique of settlement expansion as a barrier, while maintaining that Palestinian agency in state-building remained essential. Following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack—which killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages—Shavit described the assault as an existential jihadist challenge, urging to prioritize military victory over in Gaza and the unconditional return of captives over diplomatic concessions that could empower militants. In 2024 analyses, he highlighted the war's broader regional stakes, including Iranian-backed threats, and warned against premature ceasefires that might preserve 's governance capabilities, drawing on 's 2005 Gaza disengagement as evidence that unilateral withdrawals without assurances exacerbate vulnerabilities. By early 2025, in discussions of an "existential war," Shavit advocated a post-victory revival focused on deterrence against ideological foes, reflecting a hardened realism that subordinated two-state pursuits to immediate survival imperatives amid ongoing hostage negotiations. Right-leaning Israeli commentators have countered Shavit's framework by arguing it overemphasizes occupation and settlement policies as conflict drivers while underweighting jihadist ideology's primacy, evidenced by intensified attacks post-2005 Gaza withdrawal under Hamas rule and repeated rejections of statehood (e.g., Olmert offer). They contend this causal emphasis, common in left-leaning outlets like where Shavit wrote, risks misdiagnosing Palestinian militancy as negotiable grievance rather than expansionist rejectionism rooted in charters demanding Israel's elimination, thus perpetuating flawed partition advocacy amid empirical failures.

Controversies and Criticisms

Sexual Misconduct Allegations

In October 2016, Los Angeles Jewish Journal reporter Danielle Berrin publicly accused Ari Shavit of sexually assaulting her during a February 2014 interview in a Beverly Hills hotel lobby, claiming he grabbed her face, attempted to force a kiss, and invited her to his hotel room. Shavit issued a partial apology, acknowledging "mistakes" in his conduct toward women but denying that his actions constituted sexual harassment or assault, stating he had not intended harm and was unaware of the power imbalance involved. Berrin rejected the response as inadequate, noting it failed to address the assault directly and instead framed the incident as mutual flirtation. The same day as Shavit's statement, an unnamed staffer came forward with a separate claim, alleging that Shavit had groped her hand and attempted to kiss her during an encounter years earlier. Colleagues at and elsewhere subsequently described a broader pattern of inappropriate behavior by Shavit toward female journalists, including lewd comments and unwanted advances, though these accounts did not lead to criminal charges. No formal police investigation or legal proceedings ensued from the 2016 allegations.

Professional and Ideological Backlash

Prior to the allegations, Shavit's 2013 book My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of drew ideological criticism from conservative and right-leaning Israeli commentators for its emphasis on the 1967 occupation and events like the Lydda expulsion, which they argued provided insufficient historical context and inadvertently bolstered anti- narratives by framing Israel's founding as inherently tragic and morally ambiguous. Historian Martin Kramer, in a detailed , contended that Shavit's portrayal of the Lydda episode distorted archival evidence to prioritize Palestinian victimhood over strategic necessities of the war, thereby enabling critics to portray as predicated on without addressing Arab rejectionism or the broader context of mutual expulsions in the region. Such views held that Shavit's selective focus risked undermining Israel's legitimacy in public discourse, particularly amid rising delegitimization efforts, though Shavit maintained his intent was to confront uncomfortable truths for 's long-term viability. Following the 2016 scandal, these ideological disputes intensified, with detractors portraying Shavit's personal failings as symptomatic of a broader character defect that eroded his intellectual credibility, thus amplifying calls to discredit his analyses of Israeli society and policy. Pro-Israel organizations in the U.S., which had previously embraced Shavit as a liberal Zionist advocate—evidenced by his pre-scandal campus lectures at institutions like and the promoting Israel's democratic resilience—responded by canceling scheduled events, including appearances hosted by and Hillel chapters. This backlash highlighted tensions within Jewish institutional gatekeeping, where advocacy platforms prioritized moral exemplars amid heightened scrutiny, contrasting Shavit's earlier success in countering anti-Zionist tropes through nuanced defenses of Israel's achievements. Defenses of Shavit's intellectual contributions persisted post-scandal, emphasizing the empirical endurance of My Promised Land's influence despite personal controversies; the book remained a New York Times bestseller and continued to shape debates on , with ongoing scholarly and journalistic engagements citing its balanced examination of Israel's triumphs alongside policy critiques. Kramer himself acknowledged the book's methodological rigor in source usage, even while disputing interpretations, underscoring how Shavit's work retained analytical value for prompting evidence-based reckoning with Israel's causal realities—such as security imperatives versus territorial costs—independent of the author's conduct. This separation affirmed that ideological substance, verifiable through primary records, outweighed dismissals in truth-seeking evaluations.

Later Career and Recent Developments

Post-Resignation Activities

Following his 2016 resignation from Haaretz and Channel 10, Shavit transitioned to independent writing and authorship, eschewing salaried positions in major media outlets. In April 2023, he published L'hatzil et Yisrael (Saving Israel) in Hebrew, a concise outlining perceived internal divisions—such as from religious and secular elites—as existential threats to 's democratic fabric, urging centrist unity to counter these forces. The book reflects his continued focus on Zionism's internal challenges, building on earlier works like My Promised Land (2013). Shavit has sustained public engagement through freelance contributions, podcasts, and invited lectures, demonstrating ongoing intellectual influence despite the prior scandal. Notable appearances include a July 2024 podcast episode on Israeli leadership dynamics hosted by Ark Media and a October 2024 Foreign Affairs discussion analyzing Israel's post-October 7 strategic position. He also spoke at Stanford University's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law in January 2025 on themes from his forthcoming English-language book addressing Israel's "existential war." These platforms indicate selective invitations from academic and policy-oriented institutions, evidencing a rebound via non-traditional media channels rather than institutional reinstatement.

Ongoing Commentary on Current Events

In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack that killed approximately 1,200 and took over 250 hostages, Shavit has framed the ensuing conflict as an existential struggle demanding Israel's societal and military overhaul to neutralize the persistent threat from and its backers. He contends that the assault revealed systemic vulnerabilities, including intelligence failures and a complacency that allowed to rebuild capabilities despite prior operations like Protective Edge in , necessitating a "revival" through enhanced deterrence and national resolve rather than appeasement. Shavit's 2024 book Existential War and subsequent 2025 analyses extend this to 's proxy network as the core danger, backed by and , urging to adopt a Sparta-like of unrelenting strength to prevail in what he terms an "existential war" from catastrophe toward victory. In a January 30, 2025, event, he argued that decisive action against and its allies is essential, as partial measures risk perpetuating cycles of threat revival observed empirically in Gaza's post-2005 militarization under . On the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire announced October 9, 2025, involving initial hostage releases (up to 10 living and 18 deceased in phase one) alongside partial Israeli withdrawals, Shavit has stressed prioritizing verifiable security gains over optimistic diplomacy, warning that incomplete dismantlement of infrastructure could enable future incursions akin to October 7. In an October 15, 2025, discussion, he detailed the deal's tortuous path—marked by 's maximalist demands and Israeli insistence on operational freedom—but cautioned that post-ceasefire dynamics must enforce sustained pressure to avert threat resurgence, drawing on historical patterns where lulls in enforcement allowed adversary rebuilding. Critics from Israel's right, however, fault Shavit's framework for insufficiently addressing causal links between past concessions and current perils, noting his August 2025 defense of the 2005 Gaza disengagement—which precipitated Hamas's 2007 coup and entrenchment—as evidence of clinging to two-state illusions despite Gaza's transformation into a fortified terror base launching thousands of rockets pre-October 7. They argue this overlooks empirical data on withdrawal-induced vacuums fostering jihadist gains, prioritizing ideological continuity over hard lessons in deterrence failure.

References

  1. https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/events/ari-shavit-existential-war-catastrophe-victory-revival
  2. https://us.amazon.com/stores/author/B00BFX9W3C/about
  3. https://www.amazon.com/My-Promised-Land-Triumph-Tragedy/dp/0385521707
  4. https://www.thecairoreview.com/book-reviews/noble-jews-and-bloodthirsty-arabs/
  5. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/truth-without-context-the-trouble-with-my-promised-land-by-ari-shavit/
  6. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2016-10-30/ty-article/ari-shavit-resigns-amid-sexual-harassment-allegations/0000017f-e32f-d804-ad7f-f3ff13490000
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/31/world/middleeast/israel-ari-shavit-sexual-harassment.html
  8. https://www.npr.org/2013/11/18/245951664/excerpt-my-promised-land
  9. https://www.guernicamag.com/from-left-field/
  10. https://www.jewishtelegraph.com/prof_241.html
  11. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/245952983?ft=nprml&f=245952983
  12. https://forward.com/culture/187813/ari-shavit-still-believes-in-a-promised-land/
  13. https://cmes.fas.harvard.edu/event/book-launch-author-talk-ari-shavit-my-promised-land-triumph-and-tragedy-israel
  14. https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2014/03/04/talk-ari-shavit/
  15. https://www.npr.org/2013/11/18/245952983/promised-land-wrestles-with-israels-brutal-contradictions
  16. https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/ari-shavit
  17. https://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2015/06/exploring-the-seeds-of-todays-middle-east-conflict-with-ari-shavit/
  18. https://www.anisfield-wolf.org/winners/my-promised-land/
  19. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2016-01-07/ty-article/.premium/defeatism-of-enlightened-zionists/0000017f-f0a7-dc28-a17f-fcb75fe50000
  20. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/31/ari-shavit-sexual-harassment-accusations-haaretz-channel-10-israel
  21. https://www.timesofisrael.com/fresh-sexual-misconduct-allegations-cut-short-ari-shavit-comeback-appearance/
  22. https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-ari-shavits-fall-from-grace-stings-for-so-many-american-jews/
  23. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2014-09-11/ty-article/.premium/back-to-liberal-zionism/0000017f-e1b4-d75c-a7ff-fdbd98150000
  24. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2016-08-25/ty-article/.premium/confession-of-a-democratic-zionist/0000017f-f4f9-d887-a7ff-fcfd77f90000
  25. https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report/israel/the-israeli-paradox-344400
  26. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2016-05-26/ty-article/.premium/the-zionist-dream-is-threatened-from-within/0000017f-e981-df5f-a17f-fbdf71830000
  27. https://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-israel-harassment-charge-20161030-story.html
  28. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2016-10-28/ty-article/hillel-student-group-suspends-ari-shavits-campus-tour/0000017f-e282-d804-ad7f-f3fa8b250000
  29. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hillel-suspends-ari-shavit-campus-tour-amid-sexual-assault-claims/
  30. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ari-shavit-quits-haaretz-as-fresh-harassment-allegation-surfaces/
  31. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/28/israeli-writer-apologises-for-sexual-harassment-of-journalist
  32. https://www.timesofisrael.com/aipac-cancels-ari-shavit-events-over-sexual-assault-claims/
  33. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/165169/my-promised-land-by-ari-shavit/
  34. https://www.npr.org/2013/12/26/257255745/shavits-my-promised-land-examines-israels-complexities
  35. https://www.lockdownuniversity.org/faculty/8585-ari-shavit
  36. https://search.worldcat.org/title/1259332915
  37. https://www.haaretz.com/2010-05-13/ty-article/the-right-to-dimona/0000017f-f867-d318-afff-fb673a2f0001
  38. https://www.haaretz.com/2009-02-19/ty-article/the-presidents-day/0000017f-da7c-d494-a17f-de7f89640000
  39. https://www.haaretz.com/2010-11-18/ty-article/settlements-are-destroying-zionism/0000017f-e6a5-dea7-adff-f7ff845e0000
  40. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2013-01-03/ty-article/.premium/ari-shavit-settlers-aim-occupy-israel/0000017f-e32c-d75c-a7ff-ffad6ea10000
  41. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/10/21/lydda-1948
  42. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2015-05-14/ty-article/.premium/israel-abandoned-u-s-jews-in-fight-against-bds/0000017f-dc90-df62-a9ff-dcd794da0000
  43. https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2013/12/08/hardcover-nonfiction/
  44. https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2014/04/06/hardcover-political-books/
  45. https://www.haaretz.com/life/books/2013-12-25/ty-article/.premium/ari-shavits-book-enjoying-success/0000017f-db12-d856-a37f-ffd266f30000
  46. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/books/review/my-promised-land-by-ari-shavit.html
  47. https://www.jpost.com/blogs/window-on-israel/two-good-books-and-an-academic-dunce-364138
  48. https://mondoweiss.net/2013/12/israels-dangerous-shavits/
  49. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/tragedy-political-correctness-ari-shavit-confusion-zionist-liberal-left
  50. https://jewishreviewofbooks.com/articles/777/politics-and-prophecy/
  51. https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/peace-and-pessimism-in-the-promised-land/
  52. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2015-12-24/ty-article/.premium/final-decade-to-save-israel/0000017f-f744-d5bd-a17f-f77e79100000
  53. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/10/ari-shavit-both-occupation-and-intimidation-are-unacceptable
  54. https://aijac.org.au/australia-israel-review/the-biblio-file-the-triumph-and-tragedy-of-ari-s/
  55. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/podcasts/transcript-ezra-klein-interviews-ari-shavit.html
  56. https://logosjournal.com/article/ari-shavit-survival-of-the-fittest-an-interview-with-benny-morris/
  57. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/october-seven-anniversary-israel-hamas-attacks-ari-shavit
  58. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/view-israel-one-year-after-october-7-ari-shavit
  59. https://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/news/ari-shavit-israels-existential-war
  60. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-819358
  61. https://jewishjournal.com/cover_story/190816/sexual-assault-every-womans-story/
  62. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2016-10-27/ty-article/shavit-apologizes-to-u-s-journalist-over-sexual-harassment-allegations/0000017f-e100-d75c-a7ff-fd8de01a0000
  63. https://www.jta.org/2016/10/28/united-states/danielle-berrin-slams-ari-shavit-for-not-apologizing-for-committing-sexual-assault
  64. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2016-10-30/ty-article/j-street-staffer-is-second-woman-to-accuse-ari-shavit-of-sexual-harassment/0000017f-e328-d7b2-a77f-e32fec9e0000
  65. https://forward.com/opinion/353069/ari-shavit-is-the-least-interesting-part-of-the-ari-shavit-scandal/
  66. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/martinkramer/files/what_happened_at_lydda_kramer.pdf
  67. https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2016/09/27/author-discusses-israeli-palestinian-conflict/
  68. https://www.kansan.com/news/israeli-journalist-new-york-times-best-selling-author-urges-youth-to-challenge-both-sides-of/article_0ed1a050-c2f9-11e4-bbc6-4b89391c9c66.html
  69. https://mondoweiss.net/2016/10/shavits-humiliating-groping/
  70. https://forward.com/opinion/353068/why-ari-shavits-fall-from-grace-stings-for-so-many-american-jews/
  71. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/245952983
  72. https://martinkramer.org/reader/archives/what-happened-at-lydda/
  73. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-742124
  74. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqmUPgAo7zY
  75. https://fsi.stanford.edu/events/ari-shavit-existential-war-catastrophe-victory-revival
  76. https://www.haaretz.com/life/books/2024-08-06/ty-article-magazine/.premium/two-flawed-israeli-books-on-the-war-one-offers-eternal-warfare-the-other-calls-for-peace/00000191-26d1-dab7-a3d3-eff929a10000
  77. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-the-deal-came-together-and-what-comes-next/id1539292794?i=1000732085575
  78. https://www.facebook.com/thewire.in/posts/the-announcement-on-october-9-2025-that-israel-and-hamas-have-agreed-to-the-firs/845710308126999/
  79. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-08-05/ty-article-opinion/.premium/why-the-israeli-right-is-wrong-to-blame-the-2005-disengagement-from-gaza-for-october-7/00000198-761c-d3a7-af9e-767e597b0000
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