I had to choose between my Zionism and my disability advocacy

Coming to Binghamton University was exciting. Not only could I get involved with the diverse Jewish life on campus, but there was a vibrant social scene for disabled students as well. Binghamton’s disability support division, Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), had already gone above and beyond in helping me through the accommodations process. They also offered various social and academic support programs each week, and even provided a designated study room in the Union. Next, I wanted to join one or both of the two disability-themed clubs on campus.

My first step was to see what programs they offered. So, I logged onto Instagram to look through their feeds. What I saw disappointed me. These clubs associated themselves with a network of far-left student organizations, including the Young Democratic Socialists of America and Students for Justice in Palestine, in a “student power coalition” – “a collective of leftist and multicultural student organizations founded upon four unifying principles,” one of which is anti-Zionism. On top of this, the coalition and its constituent organizations have made several public antisemitic comments, including railing against the dominance of “White Zionists” within the student government and blaming Israel for the October 7 Massacre. By allying with such groups, the disability-related groups sent me a message, whether intentional: Even though I am disabled, because I am a Zionist (a core part of my Jewish identity), I am not welcome.

I have met some of the members of these groups at various SSD gatherings. I hope that they do not intend to be antisemitic or exclude me, so I will assume the best of their intentions. Still, I knew that if I joined their clubs, I’d constantly have to answer questions about my Jewish/Zionist identity and my involvement in Hillel and Chabad.

So, I didn’t join. I was never formally excluded. I set a boundary and deliberately excluded myself. I could not join a group that was deeply opposed to my Jewish identity. My experience is not isolated; I have heard similar stories from other disabled Jewish students who have chosen not to join these groups.

This is quite ironic, as this type of “silent exclusion” mirrors the many times that I have been excluded as a disabled person. The message doesn’t have to be shared explicitly, but hints are given under the surface to send me a clear signal: since I am Autistic, I do not belong. 

I honestly don’t understand how a space for disability inclusion should have any stance on Zionism whatsoever. Why is a disabled students union or neurodiversity club taking a stance on the Jewish right to self-determination in the first place? Isn’t the purpose of such a space supposed to be community and advocacy for disability causes? And even if, for the sake of argument, discussions around these topics are necessary, why take such an exclusionary tone? Binghamton has one of the largest Jewish student populations in the country, alongside a leading Center for Israel Studies. Why exclude such a significant portion of the campus? 

I believe this is due to an unhealthy focus on collective liberation or intersectionality. While good in principle, it has led people to take oversimplified or reductionist views of major geopolitical or cultural debates. Since “White Zionists” are “the oppressors” and Palestinians “the oppressed,” it is the Zionist Jews who must be excluded. Any serious scholar of the region will recognize that the conflict has deep roots. And for the record, I believe that both Palestinians and Jews have a deep connection to the land. Solving the conflict, then, does not mean infecting American disability advocacy spaces with anti-Zionism. All that does is damage these spaces by excluding Zionist Jews like me.

Ultimately, I chose my principles and identity over joining these clubs. It was a simple choice. Could the social circles that I wanted to join embrace me in my totality: a Zionist Jew and an Autistic disabled advocate? Hillel, Chabad, and JLIC could, and welcomed me with open arms. I didn’t even have to ask these disability clubs; I knew the answer would be no. I am proud of my choice, and I stick by it. 

I invite conversation on this topic. I know it doesn’t just apply to disabled activist spaces. I hear of similar issues in LGBT spaces as well. This is a common issue that Jewish students have to tackle every day on American campuses. We have mostly moved past the era of loud encampments into an era of silent exclusion, where Jews are implicitly told to either pass the litmus test or scram. My stance here is certainly not perfect, and opening up about this was difficult. But I feel an obligation to speak up, because if not now, when?