#Zionism / On the Right-Wing Government and Zionism's Dependence on Antisemitism
When the Zionist movement decided to establish a home for Eastern European Jews in Palestine, they brought European #antisemitism with them, making it a problem for the Palestinians as well. Antisemitism is the bread and butter of the Zionist movement. It’s the reason Israel was created and the reason it still is very much a Zionist project, and not a normal state.
Roy Yahav, argues that antisemitism was not only the reason for the establishment of Israel as a Zionist state, but also continues to sustain its existence. He contends that any criticism of Israel's actions, such as the occupation of Palestinians and the current war in Gaza, is labeled as antisemitism by pro-Zionist voices. But by conflating criticism with antisemitism and falsely claiming to represent all Jews worldwide, Israel is ironically increasing the danger of antiemitism.
Take for example the "antisemitic Zionism" which is embraced by neo-Nazis and white supremacists who support a Zionist state to rid white Europe/America of Jews, who they see as a "Western wall" against #Islam. Indeed , Israel's staunchest supporters today, including those close to Netanyahu (who’s currently conducting the Gaza atrocities), are the same far-right extremists perpetuating antisemitic ideologies that originally led to Zionism's rise.
Yahav calls for recognizing this reality and opposing Israel's self-serving definitions. He argues that Israel does not represent all Jews, many Jews oppose its actions (and not, they’re not self-hating Jews). Opposing Zionism's path to destruction is not antisemitic but a fight against antisemitism itself. The real struggle, he states, is for equality and partnership between all peoples from the Jordan to the Mediterranean.