Let's talk about anti-Zionism—and why it's
a form of anti-Semitism. I'm not saying anti-Zionism
can cross over into anti-Semitism, or that
it's often expressed in anti-Semitic language
(which it is). I'm saying anti-Zionism is inherently,
essentially, necessarily anti-Semitic.
In fact, it's the most powerful mutation of
that ancient virus today.
Let's recap.
Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people
have the right to self-determination in the Land
of Israel. At minimum—and I'm being generous—it's
the case that the State of Israel has the
right to continue to exist. Anti-Zionism is
the ideology that says Israel has no right
to exist—that it shouldn't exist.
It's not CRITICISM of Israel. It's the negation
of Israel. Applied practically, anti-Zionism
the movement that strives to use political,
economic, and moral pressure to wipe the Jewish
nation-state off the map, and REPLACE it with
what would inevitably be an Arab-majority
Palestine.
So why is anti-Zionism a manifestation of anti-Semitism?
ONE—Anti-Zionism seeks to forcibly dispossess
Jews of a fundamental right that they already
enjoy as Jews. The right to self-determination.
Anti-Zionism doesn't say that nation states
shouldn't exist. It says the JEWISH nation
state shouldn't exist. But Israel isn't an abstract idea.
It's a real place. It's the place where Jews
from around the world have resurrected their
ancient Hebrew language, and rejuvenated their
historic, indigenous culture. Anti-Zionism
says Jews alone should be stripped of their
internationally recognised right to a space
where their distinctive culture can flourish.
That's anti-Semitism.
Two—Anti-Zionism necessarily fails to treat
Jews as political equals. Zionism isn’t
a form of “supremacy”. It’s a demand for basic political equality
for Jews as a nation. But anti-Zionism is a
demand that Jews alone—having secured their
national freedom—should be forcibly subordinated
to other majorities. It’s the demand that
Jews should become permanent minorities again—despite
that tragic history. Anti-Zionists tell Jews
they can only be treated as equals on the anti-Zionist
terms, with their collective rights revoked.
It’s an assertion of political supremacy
over Jews. That's anti-Semitism.
Three—anti-Zionism exposes Jews to dangers
for which the anti-Zionists have no answer.
For millennia, the Jews have faced persecution.
In the twentieth century, fascist, communist
and Arab regimes around the world turned on
their Jews—while liberal democracies denied
them safe haven. Most Jews realized that the
best or only way to survive was to take responsibility
for their own fate—to build their own democratic
state. That's Zionism. It brought Jews to
their ancient homeland from countries in which
they weren't wanted. Anti-Zionism says the
Jews aren't wanted in Israel either, and can't
be the guarantors of their own existence there.
But if were to Israel disappear, the Jewish people would lose
their most successful self-defence mechanism
ever. Anti-Zionism necessarily disregards
the beliefs, the agency and the aspirations of
most of the world's Jews. That's anti-Semitism.
You see, anti-Semitism was never just a prejudice
against Jews, like other forms of racism.
It was a totalistic political ideology that mobilized
societies against "the Jews", that treated
them as an irredeemable problem to be solved. And that's
exactly what anti-Zionism is about. It’s
not criticism. It’s a hateful, totalistic,
destructive ideology.
Zionism was born as a revolutionary movement
to breathe life into the Jewish people.
The founder of the anti-Israel BDS movement says
he favours Israel's "euthanasia".
Choose Zionism. Choose life.
