On Jews, un-Jews, and anti-Jews: Resetting an old table
JVL Introduction
In this essay published in The Pickle, Shaul Magid explores the relationship between Israel, Zionism, anti-Zionism, Jewish identity, and Jewish peoplehood.
There are strong attempts today to collapse them, to demonise those who do not support the Jewish nation-state as bad Jews, disloyal Jews, not really “Jews”.
For these enforcers, Zionism, understood as support for the Jewish state, has become a more essential marker of Jewish identity than Jewish practice, or any other criteria.
Yet there is a rich tradition of multiple kinds of anti-Zionism in the States and elsewhere which the critics simply ignore or suppress which we must reclaim.
These debates are, to put it simply, good for the Jews.
The essay is preceded by Kate Greenfield’s Pickle introduction, written in the shadow of Gaza, which emphasises solidarity and resistance as Jewish values.
RK
This article was originally published by The Pickle on Fri 17 Nov 2023. Read the original here.
On Jews, un-Jews, and anti-Jews: Resetting an old table
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Jews could not commit Genocide against another people
Jews could not commit the crime against humanity which is Apartheid
Its time to call them out and go head to head with them, on every available platform
What is this? Zionism is simply our right to ur own homeland. Don’t make it complicated – it isn’t. So it is hard to imagine any jew opposing this. Why should we not have the right to live in our homeland free from the antisemitism of the diaspora?
The settlements in Transjordan are a very different matter. Who wants them? Nor ordinary jews or Israelis we know. NO, just the fanatical right composed of lunatics – not religious lunatics as these haredi are not jews in our sense of the word. They even seek to eradicaye the arabs already there. They are an embarassment to the vast majority of the Israeli population who would love to srop sunsidising them and having their children in the IDF injured and killed defending them when they attack the indigenous arabs. Israel does not need the settlements and they just cost money and lives.
We find, at a time like this when Israel is under existential attack from the terrorists and the anti-semites that we come together and identify – as jews – and with a homeland in Israel we have to defend. So simple
עם ישראל חי
@Adrian Stern – the problem with that scenario, is that it was already homeland to another people, and you gloss over Zionism, making it appear as though its just the right-wing that are bad. A secular and democratic state, where all are equal is what’s needed, and one that’s not in cahoots with imperialism.
Lets address some of Adrien Sterns points. He states some of the following;
“Zionism is simply our right to our own homeland”
As Moshe above notes, Palestine was already inhabited. Palestinians don’t have to accept Zionist claims or UN resolutions, especially if they entail them being second class citizens, or just not at all included in any future state.
“it is hard to imagine any jew opposing this”
Yet many did (the Jewish Bund) and still do, or, they support Israel, but are critical of specific policies.
“Why should we not have the right to live in our homeland free from the antisemitism of the diaspora?”
Because too often, Zionism seems to go against the aspirations of the Palestinians, and renders them as less than.
“They are an embarassment to the vast majority of the Israeli population who would love to srop sunsidising them”
Embarrassing because they make Zionism look bad, and perhaps blow the lid of some of the core beliefs of Zionism.
“We find, at a time like this when Israel is under existential attack from the terrorists and the anti-semites”
You made an accusation of antisemitism in another post, but are yet to back it up. Can you back up this claim that Israels under attack from antisemites ? If your going to make such hefty accusations, be prepared to back it.
What do people like Adrien Stern, who think its just the settlers and Bibi that are the problem, think about people like Stuart Seldowitz – is he a right wing settler as well ?
My personal view as a Jewish anti-Zionist:
I am profoundly grateful to my mother for raising her children in England when the rest of her family went to Israel in 1948.
I feel as if I have escaped from participating in, maybe even being the victim of, a great tragedy.
After all, why do I need Israel? I don’t, of course. England is my homeland and I want no other.
I notice, too, that it is the homeland of many other Jews, just as are any other number of other nations the homelands of Jews.
Of course I have met with antisemitism, but rarely, and not threatening, just offensive. In my experience that is true of most Jews in England.
On the other hand the Zionists tell me that Israel is the only safe place for me to be, the place where I can live the life of a Jew without fear of being punished simply because I am a Jew; but then I hear of the great fear that Israeli Jews have of their neighbours, the conviction they have that they are surrounded by enemies who want to kill them, and I wonder if the Zionists are telling me the truth.
I wonder also why the emnity towards Israel. Is it because Israel’s behaviour towards Palestine mimics in certain crucial aspects the behaviours of the worst enemy the Jews ever had, behaviours which Israel without even the slightest sense of irony uses to justify itself?
I cannot for the life of me think of even the smallest reason why I would want to be in that situation. It’s a trap, physically, politically, ethically and morally, and I’m hugely relieved that, thanks to my mother, I never fell into it.
If I had moved to Israel, I would have in essence become a thief; I would betray every principle of life which means anything to me.
Which is why I am an anti-Zionist. I am a Jew and an Englishman and equally proud and happy with both.