In the most recent issue of The Roosevelt News, the opinion section featured an article titled “Antisemitism is not a political tool” which argued why politicians should not use anti-semitic comments and actions to as tools to push their political agenda. In the article, the writer used the word “anti-zionism”; however, she never defined the phrase. As a result, many were confused and wondering: What is anti-zionism and is it the same as anti-semitism?
In order to understand anti-zionism, one must first understand the concept of Zionism. Zionism, historically, was the movement to re-establish Israel (then Palestine) as a Jewish state. The movement began under the leadership of Theodor Herzl in 1897 and was later led by Chaim Weizmann. Only a small group of Jews supported Zionism in the early years; however, following the rise of antisemitism in Europe and the Holocaust, Jews from around the world began to show support. Zionists finally achieved their goal of re-establishing an independent Jewish State on May 14, 1948, when Israel declared its independence. Since then, Zionism as a movement has transitioned towards promoting the development and protection of Israel.
If Zionism is, in essence, the support of a Jewish State, then anti-zionism is the opposition to such a state. It is the belief or assertion that Israel, or any Jewish State, should not exist. One of the most notable examples of anti-zionism is the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) Movement which promotes many forms of boycotts to pressure Israel into establishing pro-Palestinian policies; however, doing so would threaten the country’s existent as an entirely Jewish State. Anti-zionism is not, however, the same as criticizing Israel. In fact, it is acceptable to oppose or be frustrated by some of their actions. Jews across the US find themselves disagreeing with Israeli policies and politicians, but that does not mean that they believe Israel should not exist. Moreover, these dissenting opinions and critiques are essential for Israel to evolve and change for the better.
Anti-zionism, by its very nature, is anti-semitic. By opposing the existence of a Jewish State, one is denying the Jewish people the right of self-determination, a right that almost every other ethnic, religious, and racial group has. According to an article from The Guardian published in 2017, Islam is the official religion in 27 countries, while Christianity is the official religion in 13 countries. Israel is the only country where Judaism is the official religion. By opposing the existence of the world’s only Jewish State, one is ignoring the rights of Jews to have self-governance and a place to call their own. It is also antisemitic to assert that all Jews support violence simply because Israel is defending itself and its people from terrorism and outside attacks.
