But who has the right to redefine the word ‘Zionism’ when it’s the word used by this group of people to define their effort to save themselves?
Anti-Zionists are at best ignorant of the importance of democracy and at worst, antisemitic. Pick a new word.
The people who protect the leadership of Israel from any consequences regardless of how they behave and provide them the tools to do whatever they deem necessary, including blatant ethnic cleansing and genocide, call themselves Zionist. It might not be fair to redefine a word, but those commiting genocide and those defending and enabling genocide, use it for themselves. Opposition meets them where they stand. The burden should not be on those opposing the genocide, what you call tragedy, to come up with a new word. You are redefining anti-new-Zionism as Anti-Semitism. Just as unhelpful as redefining Zionism. How about we work to stop the genocide and then focus on the definition of Zionism later?
I agree with you, but it’s also important to note that disguising anti-semitism as anti-zionism isn’t anything new. Neo-Nazis often use zionist as a dog whistle to mean Jew prior to the current conflict.
I believe that many leaders in Israel are well aware of this and are using that as a shield. Such use literally lays the ground work for actual Anti-Semitism. If Zionism has nothing to do with what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank, then far, far, far more effort needs to go into denying the Zionism of war criminals commiting a genocide and hiding behind language than criticizing those who use those same war criminals’ language to oppose them.
I fight this fight knowing how tone deaf it is at this moment in time because you and the internet at large don’t seem to understand how ancient and how pervasive antisemitism is. I agree with your points, but argue the problem you’re touching is far right authoritarianism rising worldwide. It will turn all democracies into the worst fascist states. The USA is absolutely enabling genocide, a word I use without hesitation, but the history is clear that Jews have never NOT been under direct threat of genocide. My biggest fear in October 7 was that they would lose themselves to right wing madness the way we did after 9/11. And that’s what happened. Far-right ideology is the problem. Always. Not the Jews.
The people who protect the leadership of Israel from any consequences regardless of how they behave and provide them the tools to do whatever they deem necessary, including blatant ethnic cleansing and genocide, call themselves Zionist. It might not be fair to redefine a word, but those commiting genocide and those defending and enabling genocide, use it for themselves. Opposition meets them where they stand. The burden should not be on those opposing the genocide, what you call tragedy, to come up with a new word. You are redefining anti-new-Zionism as Anti-Semitism. Just as unhelpful as redefining Zionism. How about we work to stop the genocide and then focus on the definition of Zionism later?
I agree with you, but it’s also important to note that disguising anti-semitism as anti-zionism isn’t anything new. Neo-Nazis often use zionist as a dog whistle to mean Jew prior to the current conflict.
I believe that many leaders in Israel are well aware of this and are using that as a shield. Such use literally lays the ground work for actual Anti-Semitism. If Zionism has nothing to do with what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank, then far, far, far more effort needs to go into denying the Zionism of war criminals commiting a genocide and hiding behind language than criticizing those who use those same war criminals’ language to oppose them.
I fight this fight knowing how tone deaf it is at this moment in time because you and the internet at large don’t seem to understand how ancient and how pervasive antisemitism is. I agree with your points, but argue the problem you’re touching is far right authoritarianism rising worldwide. It will turn all democracies into the worst fascist states. The USA is absolutely enabling genocide, a word I use without hesitation, but the history is clear that Jews have never NOT been under direct threat of genocide. My biggest fear in October 7 was that they would lose themselves to right wing madness the way we did after 9/11. And that’s what happened. Far-right ideology is the problem. Always. Not the Jews.
Honestly, your words only make me less supportive of your perceived “fight”.
Thank you for helping me sort through the noise further.