Israel, Zionism, and the September protests
Deep Audit asks, concerning the upcoming worldwide demonstrations in September which will occur on on the third anniversary of the second Palestinian Intifada –
Is the protest in September, corresponding as it does with the Infitada, likely to be seen as an anti-Israeli anti-Semitic action?
The protests will be anti-Zionist (among other things), however that does not equate with being anti-Semitic or anti-Israel.
Zionism was a political movement that started around the turn of the last century, focusing on moving Jews to Israel. One of their slogans was “A land without people for people without land”. Think about that slogan. There already were lots of people in that land, they were called Palestinians. Yet the political movement of Zionism has always chosen to ignore their existence. As an example, Golda Meir as premier of Israel, refused to admit Palestinians even existed.
Israel would not exist without the support of the US. I think one can make a strong case that Israel was formed after WW II because the US wanted a strong ally in that area – so, the religious, spiritual idea of Zionism was used rather cynically I think, as a pretext for creating Israel as part of broad US geopolitical aims. And the links between Zionism and US Right go back to the early 1900’s, no joke.
Being anti-Zionist means one is opposed to the policies of the government of Israel, just as protesting the Iraq war means one is opposed to the policies of the US government. It most assuredly does not mean one is a bigot, though, of course, there are those who will try to spin it that way.
These upcoming protests are worldwide and multi-themed. The main ANSWER website headlines the protests as –
International Days of Protest
Against Occupation and Empire
From Palestine to Iraq to The Phillipines to Cuba And Everywhere
I’ve volunteered at ANSWER for a year now. They always say they are opposed to the Zionist policies of the government of Israel, never to the people of Israel, just like we here are opposed to the lunacies of Dubya, but not the people of the US. And my Jewish friends in ANSWER will be startled to learn some consider them anti-Semitic!
Links:
Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel
Jews against Zionism