The Blurring of Terms

Recently I came across the following paragraph coined by the AUT, which will decide on whether or not to boycott select Israeli academics and institutions tomorrow (via Jonathan Debyshire):

In addition, the AUT deplores the witch-hunting of colleagues, including AUT members, who are participating in the academic boycott of Israel. We recognise that anti-Zionism is not anti-semitism, and resolve to give all possible support to members of AUT who are unjustly accused of anti-semitism because of their political opposition to Israeli government policy. (Emphasis Mine)

For some time now, left-wingers, especially those on the lunatic fringe, have created a mental equation according to which criticism of Israel policy is anti-Zionism, and is falsely claimed to be anti-semitism. Conversely, anti-Zionism is no different from criticism of Israeli policy, and just as legitamite. Of course, many have abandoned this strange balancing act, and have simply reverted to a simple criticism=anti-zionism=anti-semitism equation (Michael Rivero, for instance). This formula has allowed "critics" of Israel to push the envelope in their "critiques", all the while claiming that there are simply "critics of Israeli policy". This equation is almost completely false, a self-deception meant to legitimize that which is reprehensible.

Let's start with the first part of the equation, namely that criticism of Israeli policy=anti-Zionism and vice versa. There are many critics of Israeli policy both here and abroad. They come in all shapes and sizes, from both the left and the right. The difference, however, between them and anti-Zionists is this: they do not deny the legitimacy of the state of Israel as a state for the Jewish nation, an expression of their self-determination. They may hate the occupation all they want - but they do not argue that Israel, at least behind the Green Line, should cease to be a Jewish state, or at least a "state of the Jews".

Anti-Zionism is exactly that - the denial from the Jewish people of the right to self-determination. The question of the borders of that state are irrelevant to that fundamental principle. Critics of "Israeli policy" criticize something that can change, that is transient, and not essential to its being. Anti-Zionists are not "critics of policy", since no policy save self-annihilation would reduce their antipathy. But what about "antizionism=antisemitism"? In my opinion, the answer is the same, allow me to explain why:

First of all, as Manfred Gerstenfeld has ably shown, pure "anti-Zionists" often use cliches and imagery (neocon cabal) that are openly antisemitic. Second, and more important, anti-Zionism is an act of political violence against the Jewish people. But, the critics will say, there were and are Jews who object to Zionism, not just Hardeim but enlightened folk. Judith Butler has resuscitated the spirit of Judah Magnes, who supported binationalism and tried, up to the very last minute, to prevent the establishment of the Jewish state.

As MS Arnouni, author of an interesting and out-of-print defense of Israel once put it - it is one thing to try and prevent the birth, once the baby is out, to kill it is murder. The same goes for the Jewish state. Before it was erected, one could, and many do, bring arguments against it. However, the Jewish state is now established, and an attempt to kill it, or dissolve it, would be to destroy the only state in the world for the Jewish nation. The fact that there are Jews that object to the state does not make it any less legitamite than any other state, some of whose citizens or fellow nationals would like to see their country disappear or vanish into some larger being. To claim then, that anti-Zionism is not anti-semitism simply because it does not threaten individual Jews, but "only" removs their right to self-determination is egregious and sophistic.

Keep this in mind the next time someone says they're "only criticizing Israeli policy".

AIWAC