The Marvel character Sabra is what early Zionists called "the new Jew." Raised on a Kibbutz, enlisted by the Mossad, she is emancipated, strong, and unashamed.
Unlike many other female superheroes, she doesn't seem designed for the male gaze. Her uniform—a blue & white affair in the style of the Israeli flag—covers her broad, muscular form from head to toe. Atop her head is an afro (or Jew-fro) of thick, dark Israelite curls. Her cape is a fur mantle rather than a flapping piece of fabric. It is heavy and lends heaviness to its wearer. She is not one to be trifled with.
One wonders what this proud, liberated "new Jew" would think of the upcoming Captain America movie, in which the character of Sabra has been stripped of nearly everything—-her Israeli identity, her hair, and her over-the-top flag ensemble.
Sabra is, of course, still Jewish. To be Jewish is permissible, so long as one atones for the sins of the Zionist entity. One can do this in a number of ways. One can, like director Jonathan Glazer, make speeches claiming that Israel has hijacked Judaism. One can, like anti-Zionist rabbi May Ye, do teshuvah for the "blood on one's hands" that comes with being Jewish. One can carry a sign that says "Not In My Name." One can join Jewish Voice for Peace.
But Israeli Jews aren't in the habit of apologizing for their existence and calling for the destruction of their own homeland, and so Sabra's atonement had to be the erasure of her Israeliness altogether.
It is a cliche these days to say that "representation matters," but to a certain extent, it's true. As a gay kid who loved comic books, a cameo appearance of a gay character in Green Lantern was huge for me. He wasn't the hero. He wasn't even a main character. He was just Green Lantern's assistant at work. Still, the mere fact that a character like me warranted a place in Green Lantern's universe lifted up something inside of me that had been cast down.
Jews right now are similarly cast down. We are witnessing a wave of antisemitism the likes of which we have only read about in history books. We have seen Jewish villages ransacked and burned. We have seen Jewish partygoers slaughtered by marauding terrorists. And we have seen our neighbors cheer the carnage and condemn the victims.
In this age of supervillains, Jews could have really used a hero. Unfortunately, that hero won't be Sabra, but that doesn't mean we have nobody to look up to.
One of the purposes of Zionism was to lift up a generation of Jews like Sabra - Jews who are not victims in need of saving, but heroes capable of saving themselves and others.
In this respect, Zionism has been a resounding success. I never cease being amazed by the strength, goodness and commitment of ordinary Israelis who have leapt into action since October 7th to serve in the IDF, to volunteer, and to advocate for the hostages.
Considering this, we shouldn't spend too much time mourning Marvel's cowardly revisionism. We don't need Sabra. We have enough real heroes to get us through.
