Just recently had to break it down in a group because it's been flaring up, figured a post would be nice.
This may seem like a Jewish specific topic, but it is important for non-Jews to know as well.
Zionism vs Anti-Zionism.
First of all, if you're a non-Jew it's best to identify with neither as for non-Jews is almost always antisemitic. (And yes I mean both).
This is a one of the biggest bones of contention in the Jewish community and is absolutely a loud argument right now due to current events. Worse yet, it's generally so because of a mix of misunderstandings and extremism.
Zionism
Originally this was the belief that the only way Jews could find some stability and safety would be to form a Jewish state. Once the state was formed, this turned into rabid support for Israel. For the milder of them, it basically boils down to patriotism... for the extremes it's nationalism
The loudest and most well represented of Zionists, however, believe basically that any criticism of Israel is inherently antisemitic, even by fellow Jews.
(How can this be antisemitic for non-jews? Short answer without derailing: Nazis are often Zionist)
Anti-Zionism
Originally this was opposition to the creation of modern Israel, though each person had their own wildly varying reasons.
After the creation, many Anti-Zionists became Zionists. For the rest it mostly transformed into minimizing and addressing the damages caused by the creation of the state (ie. the occupation of Palestine). Many do dream of the potential of dismantling the state, but don't see it as feasible because creating a new humanitarian crisis to solve another isn't an acceptable solution.
They're generally painted by Zionists as if they want to abruptly end the state without addressing the crisis it would cause. (As such even mild Zionists often believe Anti-Zionism to be inherently antisemitic)
(Non-Jews can criticize Israel, but being/identifying-as Anti-Zionist is pretty much reserved for Jews; the exception being victims of Israel)
#IsraelHamasWar #Israel #Zionism #AntiZionism #AntiZionismIsNotAntisemitism #Hamas #Judaism
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Gary Parker
in reply to Shiri Bailem • • •Charlie Stross
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in reply to Charlie Stross • •Charlie Stross
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Gary Parker
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Gary Parker
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EmbraceBecoming
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Shiri Bailem
in reply to Charlie Stross • •Gary Parker
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Shiri Bailem
in reply to Gary Parker • •@Gary @Charlie Stross I always appreciate an excuse to elaborate on my views!
It's impossible to be remotely readable without leaving 90% of something out (why do you think scientific papers are such a slog?)
EmbraceBecoming
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •Charlie Stross
in reply to EmbraceBecoming • • •Gary Parker
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •@cstross but didnโt that also say that being Zionist as a non-Jew was antisemitic, and a nazi thing?
(And because The Internet: I have to point out that I am NOT trolling, there is no snark here and Iโm asking genuine questions, not being reply guy)
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Shiri Bailem
in reply to Gary Parker • •@Gary @Charlie Stross (it's rarely used, but I think /srs is the punctuation to indicate seriousness, much like /s is sarcasm)
As far as answering that, it's a bit meatier which is why I chose not to include it in the original to avoid completely derailing.
Some of the common antisemitic reasonings behind goy "zionism":
It's the belief that each "race" has rights to a certain land. The Nazis of Germany believed it was Aryans to Europe. As such those following "Blood and Soil" believe that the Jewish people have ultimate right to the land of Israel (as in they would fully endorse us launching a full fledged holocaust against non-Jews there). (I'll note that as always Nazis and white supremacists are always hypocrites. Side note this is the reason why many americans claim a distant "cherokee princess" relative, because it was a way for Blood and Soil Nazis to justify their supremacy in America)
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jimkennedy
in reply to Charlie Stross • • •Gary Parker
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in reply to Gary Parker • •Absolutely 110% encourage saying "Those Are Fucking War Crimes?! Why Are We Sitting By And Allowing This To Happen!?!"
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in reply to Shiri Bailem • • •Shiri Bailem
in reply to wendinoakland has movedโฆ • •@wboucek @Gary @Charlie Stross @jimkennedy the problem fundamentally is the specificity.
If you're specific to Israel it's impossible to divorce yourself from the antisemites without being a Jew. So the only real alternative is to call out the behavior.
It also addresses hypocrisy because many will call out Israel on it's bullshit, but completely ignore it when other countries do it.
Shiri Bailem
in reply to Gary Parker • •@Gary @Charlie Stross I'm happy to answer questions. This is mostly adjacent to the current conflict, but more about how it overflows into conversations around Judaism in general.
There's a general assumption that Zionism = Pro-Judaism and Anti-Zionism being just a synonym for Anti-Semitism, and this assumption exists even in Jewish spaces so it's especially heated right now.
CaptMorgan
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Rich Puchalsky :anarchism:
in reply to Shiri Bailem • • •As a Jew, I usually just say that I'm not a Zionist, because a focus on what Israel does is not central to my identity. I think it's fine for non-Jewish anarchists to say that they are anti-Zionist, though, because they are consistently against all states and all state ideologies.
People aren't going to get "Nazis are often Zionist" without more explanation. Better you than I.
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Shiri Bailem
in reply to Rich Puchalsky :anarchism: • •@Rich Puchalsky :anarchism: answered it over in this comment: foggyminds.com/display/c6ef095โฆ
Shiri Bailem
2023-12-10 18:18:57
Jackie (aka Queen Antifa) ๐น:debian_logo:โ:linux:
in reply to Shiri Bailem • • •I would argue that if you believe that Israel should become a "state for all of its citizens" instead of "the state of the Jewish people", and include both Arabs and Jews as equal citizens, then you are an anti-Zionist. You don't need to call for the ethnic cleansing of Jews in Israel/Palestine to be an anti-Zionist. You just have to reject territorial expansionism, settler colonialism, and "Blood and Soil".
I consider myself anti-Zionist and believe the idea of an ethnonationalist settler colony to be absolutely ridiculous to me, regardless of where it is. I am also Jewish so there's that.
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Vanessa
in reply to Shiri Bailem • •I'm definitely an anti-zionist. Jews and Arabs and everyone else who calls that area of the globe home should be equally free to live their lives without oppression etc. Civilians don't belong in military prisons even if they are Palestinian. Etc, etc.
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