Anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head once again on the Left
this week. Or at least talk of anti-Semitism. What does it mean? What qualifies
as “anti-Semitic”? What is Zionism? Where do we draw the line? These are
questions surfacing throughout our public debate and I am often asked by my
friends to explain Zionist ideology and its relevance to Judaism and the Middle
East.
To be frank, Zionism is a far more innocent doctrine than
its public perception suggests. Quite simply, to be a Zionist is to profess
support for the principle that the Jewish nation should have a right to
self-determination. Some literature then adds on the qualifier “in Israel” to that definition and this
is what is causing so much controversy.
Naz Shah, Ken Livingstone, Jeremy Corbyn and many more on
the Left have spent years of their respective careers campaigning with the
Palestinian Solidarity movement by criticising the deplorable actions of the
Israeli state in the occupied territories but on its own this does not make them anti-Semitic. Many
prominent Jews have been equally condemnatory of Israel including American
academic Dr Norman Finkelstein and the great German scientist Albert Einstein.
Most Jews living in the United Kingdom express similar disapproval at the
occupation.
Criticism of Israel then is not anti-Semitic and more importantly, is not sufficient to even
meet our definition of anti-Zionism either, since one can support the right of
self-determination of the Jewish people while voicing their criticisms towards
the state which manifests in the real world.
But what about criticism of Zionism more specifically? This
is an altogether different matter. Understood as the right to
self-determination of Jews, one can argue that even opposing this ideology, one
which the vast majority of Jews consider to be of at least some importance to
their Jewish identity, is not on its own anti-Semitic. But this only applies if
you also oppose the right of self-determination for all nations everywhere.
The problem with the anti-Zionist movement is that they are
dedicated to the cause of condemning Zionist ideology but seem to be absolutely
comfortable with every other national group having the right to
self-determination. This is the fundamental double standard. If you oppose
rights for one national group but not another then this is discrimination and
in this regard the focus by Mr Livingstone, Ms Shah and their friends on the
left seems to be rather unfairly targeting one particular national group, so I
would suggest there is at least some anti-Semitic sentiment to their words.
I myself have changed my mind on the blurred line of
anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. I used to defend critics of Zionism (of which
the majority of my politically-minded friends are), on the grounds that Jews
who self-define as ‘Zionist’ should be ready to condemn the oppressive actions
of a state acting in our name.
But my change of heart stems from my awareness of this
particular double standard. The anti-Zionist movement is not an anti-Nationalist group, concerned about the presence of
borders everywhere. They are a movement with an agenda to specifically deprive
Jews of this right to self-determination and they pose their campaigning as ‘compassion
for Palestinians’, enabling them to present themselves as more innocent than
they are.
It is possible to express solidarity with the Palestinian
people without jumping on the anti-Zionist bandwagon. Former Labour Leader and
my fellow North-London Jew Ed Miliband is one such advocate of a two-state
solution – a man consistent in his support for the right of self-determination
for Palestinians as well as for the Jews. He is a far more vocal critic of
Israel than Tony Blair or Gordon Brown ever were, and rarely got the praise he
deserved for the stance he took.
Discourses inform not only our understanding of social
phenomena, but they also actively shape how we interact with them. The longer
Palestinian sympathisers continue to eviscerate Israel publicly, the more they
undermine their own ‘sympathetic’ credentials. Similarly, the longer Jews on
the Right are unapologetic for Israel’s actions, or worse still take offence
whenever anyone dares to criticise the government, the more hypocritical they
are in only advocating Jewish nationhood.
The discourse is far too polarised and I am calling for
politicians, journalists, and people of all political and racial colours, to
speak up for the radical middle-ground. Don’t sit on the fence, but rather chop
this fence down. It is only when we put serious pressure on constructing a two-state
solution in Israel and Occupied Palestine, that justice for both races can
ensue, and eventually, anti-Semitism will cease to be an issue for the
political Left.
