Thoughtful unpacking of the category error at the heart of SSI's self-presentation. The Bundist comparison is particularly sharp because it exposes how ideological pluralism within Jewish communities gets flattened when organizations claim to represent Jewish identity writ large. What often gets lost in these debates is that treating nationalism as apolitical is itself a political move, one that protects certain ideologies from scrutiny by labeling them as culture. I've seen this dynamic play out in other contexts where ethno-nationalist projects seek exemption from political analysis. The conflation ultimatley serves neither Jews nor Israelis when it collapses distict identities into a single, undifferentiated bloc.
This article reads like it was written in 1930, when Zionism was still an ideology, and not a reality. Worth recalling the words of once-Bundist once-anti-Zionist Isaac Deutscher, “If, instead of arguing against Zionism in the 1920s and 1930s, I had urged European Jews to go to Palestine, I might have helped to save some of the lives that were to be extinguished in Hitler's gas chambers." Worth also recalling why Bundism fell apart: a very large proportion of its advocates, who didn’t flee to Israel, were murdered. To reject the history of Zionism is to reject the efforts which saved many millions of Jews from extermination or ethnic cleansing across Europe, MENA, Ethiopia, and the former Soviet Union.
Anti-Zionism was maybe a tenable political position in the 1930’s but times have changed. Drastically. Israel is now a nation of 16 million which has been around for generations. It is a culture. It’s a reality. To advocate its destruction— considering what its enemies expressly advocate doing to the Jews once it is disassembled—is bigoted. Israel is now older than half of the countries on Earth. To treat Israeli culture like it’s a fake culture, which doesn’t deserve the respect of other societies, that it really is just an ideology and not the multi-generational reality of millions, is bigoted.
Now at Columbia, shunning or taunting or harassing people who have lived, worked, prayed, etc in Israel is seen as virtuous bc “Zionism” is depicted as an ideology—when really what’s been happening at Columbia is discrimination based on national origin or identity. Worth noting again is that a great proportion of the world’s Jews would not be alive today if it wasn’t for the creation of Israel which has been the main refuge for fleeing Jews in the 20th and 21st centuries. To say our existence is just an ideology is hate, not reasonable political disagreement.
David’s post below is beautifully written and on the nose. So sad elitist Columbia students are so ignorant of history. How wonderful it would be if we lived in a magical land of no religions or nationalities. But we don’t. I was reminded of that ever time i saw the Auschwitz stamp on my father’s arm. Edelman has fallen into the trap of the Jew haters who strive to divide us. Mamdani shows how it was executed back in the 30’s and has already started to apply it to his mayoralty. Zionism is a necessity
Thoughtful unpacking of the category error at the heart of SSI's self-presentation. The Bundist comparison is particularly sharp because it exposes how ideological pluralism within Jewish communities gets flattened when organizations claim to represent Jewish identity writ large. What often gets lost in these debates is that treating nationalism as apolitical is itself a political move, one that protects certain ideologies from scrutiny by labeling them as culture. I've seen this dynamic play out in other contexts where ethno-nationalist projects seek exemption from political analysis. The conflation ultimatley serves neither Jews nor Israelis when it collapses distict identities into a single, undifferentiated bloc.
This article reads like it was written in 1930, when Zionism was still an ideology, and not a reality. Worth recalling the words of once-Bundist once-anti-Zionist Isaac Deutscher, “If, instead of arguing against Zionism in the 1920s and 1930s, I had urged European Jews to go to Palestine, I might have helped to save some of the lives that were to be extinguished in Hitler's gas chambers." Worth also recalling why Bundism fell apart: a very large proportion of its advocates, who didn’t flee to Israel, were murdered. To reject the history of Zionism is to reject the efforts which saved many millions of Jews from extermination or ethnic cleansing across Europe, MENA, Ethiopia, and the former Soviet Union.
Anti-Zionism was maybe a tenable political position in the 1930’s but times have changed. Drastically. Israel is now a nation of 16 million which has been around for generations. It is a culture. It’s a reality. To advocate its destruction— considering what its enemies expressly advocate doing to the Jews once it is disassembled—is bigoted. Israel is now older than half of the countries on Earth. To treat Israeli culture like it’s a fake culture, which doesn’t deserve the respect of other societies, that it really is just an ideology and not the multi-generational reality of millions, is bigoted.
Now at Columbia, shunning or taunting or harassing people who have lived, worked, prayed, etc in Israel is seen as virtuous bc “Zionism” is depicted as an ideology—when really what’s been happening at Columbia is discrimination based on national origin or identity. Worth noting again is that a great proportion of the world’s Jews would not be alive today if it wasn’t for the creation of Israel which has been the main refuge for fleeing Jews in the 20th and 21st centuries. To say our existence is just an ideology is hate, not reasonable political disagreement.
This is a superb comment. Thank you.
David’s post below is beautifully written and on the nose. So sad elitist Columbia students are so ignorant of history. How wonderful it would be if we lived in a magical land of no religions or nationalities. But we don’t. I was reminded of that ever time i saw the Auschwitz stamp on my father’s arm. Edelman has fallen into the trap of the Jew haters who strive to divide us. Mamdani shows how it was executed back in the 30’s and has already started to apply it to his mayoralty. Zionism is a necessity
Na, und?