In 1975, when the UN passed the notorious Zionism is Racism, I wore an I am a Zionist button to high school ever day announcing to all that I am, and quite proudly so, a Zionist. And I began to have dialogues and discussions with classmates and teachers who asked me about Zionism. I learned to speak out about why I am a passionate advocate for the right to self determination for my people. My middle daughter now has that button. I think it is time for me to borrow it from her and begin that conversation again. It is badly needed: For anti-Zionists (to claim ) to be “just anti-Zionist,” but “not anti-Semitic,” ...is nonsensical to anyone who knows what anti-Zionism is. Anti-Zionists are not just critical of Israel’s policies or actions (like the war with Gaza or the occupation); they believe that the State of Israel does not have a right to exist. They oppose Israel’s very existence and survival, yet do not oppose the existence and survival of any other country, including those with human rights records infinitely worse than Israel’s. As Irwin Cotler points out, the fact that Israel - the only Jewish country in the world - is singled out for this condemnation is inherently anti-Semitic. I am pained by the anguish and shock of progressive Jews in Israel and the Diaspora now as they struggle with what they’ve been encountering online since the start of this war. For some, this is their first introduction to anti-Semitism, courtesy of Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere. This war has provided anti-Zionists with an excuse to drop their masks and to give voice to the anti-Semitic views they have held all along. But perhaps there is something to be gained from these recent blog and social media posts that have exposed anti-Zionists for what they really are. They have forced Israeli and Diaspora Jews - especially those of the younger generation – to learn how to differentiate between legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism in disguise. Only with this knowledge will we be able to strategize a creative and effective response to our current situation.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 09:49:47 +0000