(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Why I am a Jew But Not a Zionist [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-10-20  

I am a Jew, but not a Zionist. My identity as a Jew grounds my commitment to justice and humanity for all people. I know in my core that I am not safe unless I actively work to fight against the oppression of others.

I am a Jew, but not a Zionist. First, as an atheist and because I don’t accept the idea that any one religion should have primacy over others, I reject the religious notion that Jews have a right to live in the “holy land” as given by God. Second, I reject a Jewish right to the land because our ancestors lived there many centuries ago. Third and most important, I reject the claim that a preferential homeland for Jews is our only protection from insurmountable antisemitism. I understand the impulse, but reject it as profoundly pessimistic.

For centuries before the creation of the state of Israel, the land and its people were controlled by colonial powers. At the end of the Ottoman Empire and then the British withdrawal from Palestine, respect for justice, human dignity, and the democratic rights of all people should have demanded democratic control by the Palestinians who lived there as well as refugees from the Holocaust.

That did not happen. Instead, because European leaders did not want to deal with what they regarded as the “Jewish problem”, the principles of Zionism were accepted, and the rights of Palestinians were ignored.

Not surprisingly, that resulted in armed conflict, eventually the displacement of Palestinians, more Palestinian resistance to occupation, and with Israeli response to the 1967 war, occupation of more Palestinian land. The establishment of Israeli settlements, and with them further displacement and immiseration, led to more conflict. Inevitably, as has been the case throughout history, inhumane and unacceptable authoritarianism and terrorism found their audience both among Israelis and Palestinians.

Of course, this telling is a shorthand history without all the important nuances, but I think it's the essence. We need to know that history and all its wrinkles, but we can't undo it. There is plenty to explain and blame to be assigned, but we must look forward to halting its destructive continuation.

I don't know a good political solution. However, I know this: One can only come about through the democratic participation of Israelis and Palestinians with a commitment to their common humanity, respect for ensuring human rights, and a steadfast rejection of revenge. The same is true for the required support of the international community. In Israel and Palestine, that means rejecting both Hamas and Netanyahu and the values they represent. Around the world, that means rejecting domestic antidemocratic, racist, and religious extremist leaders and movements, as well as their self-serving exploitation of international conflicts.

A Jewish state built on the denial of the human rights of Palestinians makes me less safe as a Jew, not more. The equating of Zionism with Jewishness exacerbates antisemitism.

I know this: There is plenty of anger. I need to live with hope. Without these guiding principles and movements to support them, there will be no viable political solution. Hope with wither. The cycle of inhumanity and brutality will continue. A cease-fire and robust humanitarian aid is the essential first step to hope.

Arthur taught and led science professional learning and curriculum and assessment development projects for 50 yrs. He writes about education and social justice. He loves spending time with friends and family, hiking, and gardening.

Follow him:

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/arthurcamins

Substack: https://arthurhcamins.substack.com/

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/20/2200555/-Why-I-am-a-Jew-But-Not-a-Zionist?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/