Digital Library
Reclaiming the Z-Word
Topic:
Israel & Regional Politics, Israel Literacy
Principal Investigators:
NULL
Study Date:
2022
Source:
Sapir
Key Findings:
This essay discusses practical engagement tactics with Jewish anti-Zionism. This perspective within the Jewish community is extremely complex. The author himself acknowledges his burning frustration with Jewish anti-Zionists, and his own fantasies about branding anti-Zionists as traitors or excluding them from Jewish institutions.
Yet at the same time, they are an inextricable part of the Jewish family. Younger generations of these Jews contain aspiring community leaders.
The ultimate argument here is that Jewish anti-Zionists should always have a place at the table and be offered invitations for dialogue and conversation to better understand their viewpoints and convey their perspectives. Mainstream Zionist Jewry should also have enough confidence to tell them why they are wrong.
If “we” don’t, this debate will proceed without us and without our views. “They” will not come into our spaces but create their own instead — and not invite us in. In fact, that’s partly why this problem exists in the first place — why there are Jewish parents anguished to discover that their children don’t share their views about Israel, and children who believe they were lied to in their Israel education.
The historical context of Zionism is explored, and the evolution from the initial debate about the existence and nature of a Jewish state to the current era of “Zionism 3.0” is highlighted. In Zionism 3.0, the focus shifts from questioning Israel's existence to discussing what Zionism should look like and how Diaspora Jews can contribute to it.
Several key points for this conversation are outlined, including the need for Diaspora Jews to support Israel economically and philanthropically while engaging in political discussion within a framework that doesn’t even conceive the idea of debating Israel's existence.
The author also underscores the enriching influence of Israeli culture on Diaspora Jewish life and suggests that Israel can play a role in engaging with anti-Zionist Jews by providing perspectives and experiences that challenge their viewpoints.
A reclamation of the term from those who have negatively stigmatized it is encouraged, with the hope of fostering unity within the Jewish community.
Methodology:
“Us” and “them” terminology in this essay means “Zionist Jews” and “anti-Zionist Jews,” respectively. It should be noted that Zionist Jews comprise the majority of the community around the world (including in the West, where Jewish anti-Zionist opinions are predominately concentrated) and should therefore be considered as the mainstream.
Analysis is informed by a combination of academic history of Zionism (sourced from external sources) and the author’s observations.