We’re American Jewish Historians. This Is Why We’ve Left Zionism Behind

[aranthus]

27. Based on what?

Last edited Fri Aug 5, 2016, 08:00 PM - Edit history (2)

First of all, I wasn't blaming all criticism of Israel on antisemitism. I said that antisemitism was at the heart of the anti-Israel movement. So please deal with what I have written instead of re-writing it to suit your agenda.

Second, to get to the heart of the anti-Israel movement, don't you think that we have to first understand what is at the core of Palestinian opposition to Israel? After all, the movement claims to support the Palestinians, right? So shouldn't we look to what Palestinians believe and want to figure out what the movement is about? So here is what Palestinians believe as told by a former lawyer for Hamas recently on Mondoweiss: "In the view of Palestinians, the state of Israel has never possessed legitimacy, not by international standards, as it was founded on expulsion, land-theft and military occupation" - See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2016/07/israel-cant-win/#sthash.u59nTtj5.dpuf

Leaving aside for the moment that Israel being founded on "expulsion, land-theft and military occupation," is a pack of lies up there with the blood libel, the core of the entire conflict is Palestinian rejection of the legitimacy of a Jewish state. Hatefulness to Jewish national existence is antisemitism by definition, so the core of the Palestinian position is antisemitism. Add to that the problem that so much of the Palestinian understanding of the conflict is the aforementioned gross set of lies. Because Israel could have come into existence without any expulsion, land theft (to the extent that there was any), military occupation, refugees, etc., and would have if it were not for the war that the Arabs started to destroy the Jewish state. And why did they start said war, if there hadn't yet been any land theft, expulsions, refugees, etc.? Because they rejected Jewish nationalism outright.

I won't go into the massive amount of evidence of antisemitism in BDS, because others have made it so readily available on this site. Likewise the growing antisemitism on campus hiding behind the mask of "anti-Zionism," "Palestinian rights," or "enforcing international law." It's all readily apparent to to honest observers. My point, therefore, is that while not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, the core of the anti-Israel position is founded in antisemitism.

What I do want to point out is why you disagree with my above analysis. I don't have time for a long drawn out discussion, and I think you've made your position clear enough. So here are the reasons you disagree.

1. You agree with the antisemites that Israel has no legitimacy as a Jewish state.
2. You buy into the lie that Israel was created on, "expulsion, land-theft and military occupation."
3. You buy into the lie that the Palestinians are only trying to win their freedom, rather than destroy the Jewish state.
4. There really are things to criticize Israel for, but you conflate those real issues with what the Palestinians are fighting for.

If you want to reply fine.