Palestinian Jewish Students held their first meeting on April 5th.
as a member of Jewish Students for Palestine (JSP)we are part of a long history of anti-Zionist Jews. Anti-Zionism existed among Jews before World War II, explains Benjamin Baltazar, a scholar and associate professor at Indiana University South Bend. In the early 20th century, Zionism was one of many theoretical movements across various Jewish groups. As Baltaser outlines, a sect of anti-Zionist Jews who claimed the right to self-determination in the Eastern European countries where they grew up were wiped out during the Holocaust. In the years immediately following the war, the general opinion among American Jews was that Zionism and its values did not represent the Jewish majority, and that was part of history. explained By Zachary Lockman, Professor of Middle East Studies at New York University.
Zionism is A direct extension of British settler colonialism In the Middle East. Charles Glass writes:Without Britain, there would be no Israel for the Yishuv and no catastrophe (Nakba in Arabic) for the Arab majority in Palestine. ” Palestinians remember Israel’s early days as a project to force them out of their homes.. These early colonial intentions remain in modern policy, as have the Israeli military. 1.7 million people evacuated, killed over 30,000 peopleI thought Deportation of Palestinians to Egypt (in other words, ethnic cleansing).
Despite being Jewish widely opposed Zionism in the 1930s and 1940s, today it is said that Israel’s existence is essential to our security as a people. I am aware that the assumption that Israel is our only safe place is based in part on anti-Semitic rhetoric (that we do not belong anywhere else). often feel left out. We feel like we are betraying our community, but there is one place that is said to protect us. But we know that’s never true.
In recent days, the colonialist ideology of Zionism has and the massacre that followed Many Palestinians have made their mark on the world stage. As this happens, the JSP’s condemnation of Israel and its actions has given us an opportunity to reflect on the historical relationship between anti-Zionism and the Jewish community. As anti-Zionists, we have declined. noisy Minority voices are loud in Jewish spaces, and the history of Jewish resistance to Israel is rarely taught.The tale of bandist (Most were massacred during World War II) Council of American Judaism (who began organizing in the 1940s) remains untold. Instead, Jews are being told that Zionism is what we all wanted all along.
According to Pew Research Center, the percentage of white evangelical Christians who support the Israeli government is comparable to the percentage of Jews who support the Israeli government. This is also reflected in the statistics. “White evangelical Protestants are the most likely to express a favorable opinion of the Israeli government (71%). Among Jewish adults, 54% have a favorable view of the Israeli government. I answered yes.” According to archival data, 10 years ago, More Evangelical Christians than Jews believed that God gave Israel to the Jews.. Despite the large number of evangelical Christians who support Israel, lobbying council and Controls the conservative Zionist bloc in America Too often the Israeli-Palestinian issue is portrayed as purely a conflict between Jews and Muslims. in fact, Zionism is not very strongly connected to Judaism. Because common stories tend to portray that. Many Jews continue to oppose Zionism, and many evangelical Christians have become integral to supporting Israel’s occupation efforts.
In 2012, scholar Judith Butler wrote a book called A Farewell: Jewishness and the Critique of Zionism.in Butler’s book reviewChaim Gans of Tel Aviv University writes:Butler argues that the Zionist movement should be completely rejected because it is in the name of Judaism itself. ” As members of the JSP, we call on you to use your Jewish experience to advance your anti-Zionist beliefs.
From Lila: I worked at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. I know what genocide feels like. I use the tools I learned in Jewish institutions to denounce the injustices I see, including in Israel and Palestine. In Hillel, in the Dvar Torah that I gave, I explained how in my section I showed that we were allowed to choose the aspects of Judaism that were beneficial to us. did.. One does not have to follow every aspect of a religion or law to be considered a legitimate believer. Why has our allegiance to a nation less than a century old suddenly become a litmus test for our legitimacy as Jews?
For those of us writing this article, our connection to our faith, our journey in support of anti-Zionism, and our Jewish experience is not monolithic. But one thing is certain: Jewish beliefs of love, respect, and constant questioning are essential to support for a free Palestine.
This article focuses on the history of Jewish anti-Zionism and does not explain what a free Palestine looks like for us. Nevertheless, we think it is important to briefly note that seeking freedom for Palestine does not mean seeking freedom for Palestine. of Anyone is more free from settler violence and constant attack.
The JSP is part of a group of Jews who have not fallen into Zionist ideology. jewish student Other universities, including MIT, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania, have publicly expressed anti-Zionist sentiments through similar statements. We encourage more Jewish students to question Zionist indoctrination and share unabridged moral truths.
We believe that the only path to safety for Jews is a colonized and genocidal nation-state based on genocide (which has similarities to pogroms, as even described by refuse. israel news sources) and mass deportations were carried out and engaged in endless wars against the civilian population.As American Jews, we have been told lies that erase history, Israel, and only Israel, protect us – this is a betrayal of our values and basic human sensibilities. Such limited analysis limits our ability to recognize, acknowledge, and combat anti-Semitism. Such an analysis forces us to imagine that Palestinian lives are worth less than our own, and forces us to condone their genocide and close our eyes to Israel’s present. Just as we have been taught to turn a blind eye to America’s past (recognizing the danger of confusion). Colonialism (two completely different geopolitical situations under one umbrella). We must have an honest understanding of our history and recognize that as Jews and as people, we are and will always be part of the anti-Zionist movement.
