Defending Zionism in a Time of Occupation and Oppression

[Darranar]

As someone who has emerged in recent years as one of the more prominent academic supporters of Palestinian national rights and critics of Israeli policies and U.S support for the Israeli government, many people are surprised that I am unwilling to categorically denounce Zionism.

I am not at all oblivious to the many crimes committed in the name of Zionism, but there is often real confusion as to how one defines it. Many supporters of the Palestinian cause tend to portray Zionism as its worst historical manifestations (just as many supporters of Israel do the same for Palestinian nationalism). Certainly, if Zionism is defined as an ideology which advocates dispossession, oppression, and racism—which, unfortunately, is how most Palestinians have experienced it—I have no problems calling myself anti-Zionist.

However, there is something fundamentally wrong with someone who does not identify with a certain ideology defining what that ideology is. (One can only remember Rev. Pat Robertson's definition of feminism as an ideology which teaches women to "leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians.")

This confusion has been exacerbated by the tendency of some American Zionist leaders to imply that one can only be a true Zionist by blindly supporting Israeli government policies.

Tikkun

[Jim Sagle]

1. Defending Zionism in a time of delegitimization and defamation is not

easy. Sadly, hypercritics like Stephen Zunes make it harder than it should be or needs to be.

[Resistance]

2. Israel defames itself

with the butchery, theft, and aggression

[Jim Sagle]

6. Thanks for proving my point.

[Cassandra]

20. But...but...

you love butchery, theft and aggression...as long as Arafat's doing it. It's only when you THINK you see it in Israel that you get upset. Israel doesn't defame itself; you defame it.

[plurality]

4. Considering this was a piece SUPPORTING Zionism

I don't see how it makes it more difficult. In fact I think this is exactly the voice the pro-Israel side needs if it hopes to win over anti-Zionists of the left who feel as they do because of Israel's action as opposed to anti-semitism, which tends to be the motivation from critics on the right.

[Jim Sagle]

7. Israel's actions are typically taken out of context and magnified

while the PA's actions are justified and sentimentalized.

[plurality]

10. For context

taken from the end of the original article.

One of the more unsettling aspects of U.S. policy is how closely it corresponds with historic anti-Semitism. Throughout Europe in past centuries, the ruling class of a given country would, in return for granting limited religious and cultural autonomy, set up certain individuals in the Jewish community as its visible agents, such as tax collectors and money lenders. When the population would threaten to rise up against the ruling class, the rulers could then blame the Jews, sending the wrath of an exploited people against convenient scapegoats, resulting in the pogroms and other notorious waves of repression which have taken place throughout the Jewish Diaspora.

snip

The ramifications of U.S. policy are quite apparent when it comes to the suffering of Palestinians, Lebanese, and other Arabs. But it also has a negative impact on Israel. The late Israeli intellectual Ishawa Leibowitz noted, "The existence of the Jewish people of 60 to 80 generations … was a heroic situation. We never got from the goyish world a cent. We supported ourselves. We maintained our own institutions. Now we have taken three million Jews, gathered them here and turned them over to be parasites—parasites of America. And in some sense we are even the mercenaries of America to fight the wars of what the ruling persons in America consider to be American interests."

It is important to note that most of the actions of the Israeli government which have brought the most criticism from the world community would not have been possible without the acquiescence and, at times, encouragement, of the United States and other Western powers. This has placed the Zionist movement in a serious dilemma. Through a combination of historical circumstances—however legitimate the goals of national self-determination for the Jewish people may have been—it has inexorably been linked in the eyes of most of the world as a neo-colonial movement backed by Western imperialism, and a major obstacle to the national liberation of Arab peoples.

Anti-Semitism has been called "a fool's socialism," in that it often takes on populist rhetoric in support of economic justice against capitalist exploitation, yet focuses upon an exaggerated view of the power and influence of a tiny sub-segment of the ruling class.

In a similar way, anti-Zionism may be a "fool's anti-imperialism," where Jewish nationalism itself is erroneously seen as the problem rather than the alliance its leaders have made with exploitative Western interests.

[_Jumper_]

8. Anti-Semitism motives pro-Palestinian conservatives?

Since when did American conservatives like Arabs more than Jews?

[plurality]

9. not what I said

Many anti-semites (usually right-wing) point to Israels treatment of the Palestinians as proof that the Jews are evil. I won't link to it, but if you have the stomach for it go to David Dukes site for a perfect example.

[_Jumper_]

12. Okay

I agree with you on that.

[plurality]

3. An excellent piece, many thanks for posting.

I found these parts to be the most helpful.

One of the more unsettling aspects of U.S. policy is how closely it corresponds with historic anti-Semitism. Throughout Europe in past centuries, the ruling class of a given country would, in return for granting limited religious and cultural autonomy, set up certain individuals in the Jewish community as its visible agents, such as tax collectors and money lenders. When the population would threaten to rise up against the ruling class, the rulers could then blame the Jews, sending the wrath of an exploited people against convenient scapegoats, resulting in the pogroms and other notorious waves of repression which have taken place throughout the Jewish Diaspora.

snip

The ramifications of U.S. policy are quite apparent when it comes to the suffering of Palestinians, Lebanese, and other Arabs. But it also has a negative impact on Israel. The late Israeli intellectual Ishawa Leibowitz noted, "The existence of the Jewish people of 60 to 80 generations … was a heroic situation. We never got from the goyish world a cent. We supported ourselves. We maintained our own institutions. Now we have taken three million Jews, gathered them here and turned them over to be parasites—parasites of America. And in some sense we are even the mercenaries of America to fight the wars of what the ruling persons in America consider to be American interests."

It is important to note that most of the actions of the Israeli government which have brought the most criticism from the world community would not have been possible without the acquiescence and, at times, encouragement, of the United States and other Western powers. This has placed the Zionist movement in a serious dilemma. Through a combination of historical circumstances—however legitimate the goals of national self-determination for the Jewish people may have been—it has inexorably been linked in the eyes of most of the world as a neo-colonial movement backed by Western imperialism, and a major obstacle to the national liberation of Arab peoples.

Anti-Semitism has been called "a fool's socialism," in that it often takes on populist rhetoric in support of economic justice against capitalist exploitation, yet focuses upon an exaggerated view of the power and influence of a tiny sub-segment of the ruling class.

In a similar way, anti-Zionism may be a "fool's anti-imperialism," where Jewish nationalism itself is erroneously seen as the problem rather than the alliance its leaders have made with exploitative Western interests.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[madrchsod]

11. good luck...

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jim Sagle]

18. Some people do say that. I have no respect for them.

[_Jumper_]

19. Same here

I support Zionism because it is a legitimate attempt to escape persecution whereas White Nationalism is merely an attempt to achieve some loony, racist utopia.

[Darranar]

14. "White Nationalism" concerns itself....

with mythical conspiracies and the mythical threat of anti-white bigotry.

In the case of Zionism, the threat of bigotry is all too real.

[drewb]

17. Good point, but to them I imagine it seemed real enough...

It's been said that Jews have never been safer at any time in history, but they must continue to be vigilant.

:loveya: