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🇮🇱 Israel /Culture & Society

'I cried when Begin won': How Gadi Taub left the Labor aristocracy for the Right

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Context piece
  • Gadi Taub, a prominent Israeli intellectual, discussed his shift from the Labor establishment to the political Right.
  • He recounted his childhood reaction to Menachem Begin's 1977 election victory as a defining moment.
  • Taub also shared his approach to teaching, emphasizing critical thinking and challenging students.

Gadi Taub, now a widely cited intellectual on the Israeli Right, shared the story of his political evolution from the Labor establishment to his current views. Growing up in Jerusalem, Taub's childhood was steeped in the academic and political circles of the time, with parents involved in finance and cultural critique. He described his formative years as being within the "triangle of academia, art and politics."

I sat down and cried. I didn't know anything about politics, but I understood from my parents that this was the end of the world.

— Gadi TaubGadi Taub describing his reaction to Menachem Begin's 1977 election victory as a child.

A pivotal moment occurred the morning after the 1977 election when his mother informed him that Menachem Begin had won. Taub, then 12, recalled crying, understanding from his parents that this outcome signaled "the end of the world." This early experience shaped his perspective, leading him to question the pronouncements of the establishment he grew up in.

Look where Yuli is and where I am. You see how intimate the circles are.

— Gadi TaubGadi Taub reflecting on the proximity of political circles, referencing a past encounter with Yuli Tamir.

Taub also reflected on his teaching philosophy, where he aims to provoke critical thinking. He tells his students on the first day that his goal is to offend them, encouraging those who feel challenged to engage further. He emphasizes that students are present as learners, not for therapy, and discourages identity-based framing in discussions. Taub teaches postmodernism, viewing it as a subject to be critically examined rather than simply accepted, likening the classroom to a "lab" where complex ideas can be dissected without fatal consequences.

Beware of do-gooders.

— Gadi TaubGadi Taub quoting his father's advice, reflecting a suspicion of well-intentioned actions.

His pedagogical approach involves understanding the core of ideas, including their emotional appeal, rather than just their intellectual components. Taub states he does not grade opinions but rather assesses students' ability to construct strong arguments for opposing viewpoints, ensuring they can articulate different perspectives effectively.

Being moralistic, in that house, was not the same thing as being moral. It's often a pose, and the pose comes at the expense of actual morality.

— Gadi TaubGadi Taub explaining his father's view on morality versus moralism.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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