Anti-Zionism Isn't the Same as Anti-Semitism

Saturday, December 08, 2018

Michelle Goldberg: The conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is a bit of rhetorical sleight-of-hand that depends on treating Israel as the embodiment of the Jewish people everywhere. Certainly, some criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, but it's entirely possible to oppose Jewish ethno-nationalism without being a bigot.

Posted by qcp at 01:30 PM | 15 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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More from the article: "In an op-ed essay in The Wall Street Journal last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listed Saudi Arabia's growing ties to Israel as a reason not to downgrade America's relationship with the kingdom, despite the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. If the Trump administration is going to use our alliance with Israel as an excuse for abandoning fundamental values, surely Americans are justified in subjecting that alliance to special scrutiny."

#1 | Posted by qcp at 2018-12-07 03:00 PM | Reply

One hates Jews,. the other just hates Jews.

#2 | Posted by Spork at 2018-12-07 04:31 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

yes, QCP. had you not realized this before?

#3 | Posted by ichiro at 2018-12-08 01:29 AM | Reply

for abandoning fundamental values

#1 | POSTED BY QCP AT 2018-12-07 03:00 PM | FLAG:

Values? Where were they when we backed Egypt killing dozens of journalists in the street?

#4 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2018-12-08 02:04 PM | Reply

No --- they're not the same.

I've got lots of jewish friends. They're great people, definitely nicer than most christians I know.

But Israel is currently a disaster. It doesn't have to be, but the right-wing government has GOT to go, and the human rights violations have GOT to stop.

And the article is right, a one-state solution is absolutely ideal. If there are adequate secular constitutional protections in place, there is no valid reason Israel should have a majority jewish, muslim, christian, or any other religion population. The only adequate protections for the rights of ANY religion are in a completely secular state. Theocracy is bad, full stop.

We shouldn't be supporting Israel OR Saudi Arabia. --- Likud, --- Hamas, --- the Republicans, --- anybody who thinks religion has a place in government.

#5 | Posted by DarkVader at 2018-12-08 02:33 PM | Reply

Hey Sporkgoat is back to non sequitur again.

#6 | Posted by e1g1 at 2018-12-08 04:57 PM | Reply

Think of it this way: Zionism is like illegal/undocumented immigration.

Watch everyone's heads explode

#7 | Posted by sentinel at 2018-12-08 05:59 PM | Reply

but it's entirely possible to oppose Jewish ethno-nationalism without being a bigot.

Or opposing specific actions that show an abuse of the imbalance of power that exists between them and the Palestinians, settlements for example.

#8 | Posted by jpw at 2018-12-08 06:05 PM | Reply

"And the article is right, a one-state solution is absolutely ideal."

The Muslim Brotherhood missing statement is to win democratically so they can impose Sharia law. Like they did in Egypt.

#9 | Posted by snoofy at 2018-12-08 06:11 PM | Reply

More radically, being pro-Zionist does not mean being anti-Palestinian. Wrap your head around that one for a moment.

#10 | Posted by moder8 at 2018-12-08 06:30 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Palestinians are semites for more weirdness.

#11 | Posted by bored at 2018-12-08 07:10 PM | Reply

Well, isn't that cute?

This response is further enthymizing and redherringing the grande madam of the pressistutions incremental acknowledgment of a truth that the vast majority of people under the demographic of 35 in this country already basically grasp: the most lethal anti-semites in the world are the zionists. It also glosses over the fact that the phrase anti-semitic is in and of itself a genocidal phrase wiping people of Arab, Lebanese, Syrian and other semitic cultures (codified into nationalism thanks to World War I) even. out. of. mention.

It's almost like sheeple are being manipulated into death, hate and war by oligarchs' illogical subterfuge

#12 | Posted by Cannante at 2018-12-09 08:20 AM | Reply

Hey, moder8: a Zionist is an athiest who thinks god was in the real estate business 30 years ago

#13 | Posted by Cannante at 2018-12-09 08:22 AM | Reply

God was in the real estate business long ago, ask the Caananites.

#14 | Posted by bruceaz at 2018-12-09 09:30 AM | Reply

Israel used snipers to pick off clearly marked medics during Palestinian riots. Israel is the second most belligerent nation on earth, first for its size. Many Israeli citizens recognize that being the regional bully is not a long term solution to regional peace and prosperity. But like the USA there is a political divide between the people in charge who choose violence, land acquisition and superior military technology over those that prefer diplomacy as the first option.

#15 | Posted by bayviking at 2018-12-09 10:57 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1