Why Anti-Zionism Is Antisemitism

I feel compelled to respond to Steve Sheffy’s recent Op-Ed entitled “Distinguishing Anti-Zionism From Antisemitism” with my own Op-Ed about why I disagree, as a liberal American, with him. My thesis for obtaining a Masters in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) was focused on the evolution of American Holocaust education legislation over decades to present day. My research gave me a deep understanding of the driving forces behind such legislation: to combat antisemitism in the United States. Jews living outside of Israel (Zion), or in the Jewish diaspora,  have always had to combat some form of antisemitism whether overt, i.e., genocide, exile, personal attacks or those on Jewish institutions and neighborhoods, KKK marches, denial of entry into private clubs and schools, or covert, i.e, schools and employers not making reasonable accommodation for Jewish students and/or employees for  observance of the Jewish holidays, stereotyped references of Jews in print and media, etc.

However despite adversity to a certain death sentence,  diaspora Jews, particularly American Jews, have assimilated into a greater non-Jewish society. The supermajority are not religious, but culturally observant. However, a growing  number of American Jews are disconnected from Israel having never been and not understanding its relevancy to their every day lives as Americans. However, since October 7, 2023 that disconnection has changed as antisemitism is in the United States and around the world is now at a level that equates to societal dynamics that led to severe discrimination, persecution, exile and genocide of their Jewish ancestors. The narratives and actions that come with today’s anti-Zionism movement are not specifically targeted at Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition government, but at Jews collectively. Holocaust revisionism and denial are woven throughout the narratives along with the worst tropes and stereotypes.

The Free Palestine slogan “From The River To The Sea” is a message that sends a clear message to wipe out the modern-day state of Israel and replace it with an Islamic state – Palestine. Make no mistake: Anti-Zionism is a jihadist created and driven movement that is at its core antisemitic right down to Islamic fundamentalism. To excuse anti-Zionism from being prejudice against global Jewry is like excusing White Christian Nationalism from a prejudice against those people who are not white, Christian, cis-gender and straight.  Those Jews who technically have aligned with the formal “Anti-Zionist/Free Palestine” movement (ironically many are of color or identify as LGBTQ+) are aligning themselves with Islamic jihadism and its quest to assert sharia law globally.  To truly support  modern-day Israel and Jews having the right to self-determination along with Palestinians having the same rights of self-determination, it must be alongside Jews and not at their demise or the demise of their statehood. That said, to be non-antisemitic one must publicly promote slogans and narratives that Israel’s right to exist (but it can still be critical of the leadership in power).

After all, for example, if one is critical of American, British, French or Japanese leadership in power, would they automatically be denying the countries’ right to exist and be verbally and physically attacking people of those ethnicities around the globe – as is being done to Jews?  The Muslim Brotherhood has given rise to today’s jihadism and they use the plight of the Palestinians since 1948 to further their goal: a destruction of Western influence and their democracies and it starts with Israel, then others will follow including the United States. The reason the Palestinian Authority has rejected a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is because there agenda is driven by extreme religious  Islamic ideology.  The jihadists reject democratized, secular governance, and justify utilizing violence to gain power and influence. This is the same reason why the Muslim Brotherhood (the predecessor to the Palestinian Authority and its offshoot Hamas, and Iran’s Hezbollah)  will never be honest broker’s of a two-state solution.

Since 1948, Israel, unlike the United States and Europe, is the one democratized country that has faced the real threats coming from fundamentalist Islam, but today it extends to the United States and Europe.  Islamic fundamentalism is a threat to their democracies. But so are the extremist movements of Christianity and Judaism. Until we have a true movement that the masses buy into whose slogan is “From the river to the sea, Israel along with Palestine, will both be” the Holy War that has been going on for over two millennium will continue. The ability for secular democracy and its freedoms and justice for all humanity exists in our world will be determined by whether the masses, regardless of religion, ethnicity, race or otherwise, demand it.