Israel and the European Left: Between Solidarity and Colin Shindler Israel and the European Left examines why the European Left has become so antagonistic towards Israel. Is it due to opposition to the policies of successive Israeli governments? Or can it be explained by a resurgence of anti-Semitism? The answer is far more complex. This work argues that the new generation of the European Left was more influenced by the decolonization movement of the 1960s than by wartime experiences, which led it toavor the Palestinian cause in the post-1967 period. The Israeli drive to settle the West Bank after the Six Day War enhanced an already existing attitude, but did not cause it. The New Left also differed in tolerating nationalism in the Arab world. In contrast, the Old Left passionately supported the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, having fought local fascists together with the Jews in the 1930s and lived through the Holocaust during World War II. Placing the problem in a historical context, Israel and the European Left looks at the struggle between Marxism-Leninism and Zionism from the October Revolution until today. This novel, accessible and balanced work will interest students of International Politics, Middle Eastern Studies, as well as anyone who seeks to understand issues related to today's Left and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Colin Shindler is Emeritus Professor and Pears Senior Research Fellow at SOAS, University of London, UK.