anti-Zionism and antisemitism
A disagreement with Bob, who writes in a post in which I otherwise agree with a great deal
finally anti-Zionism which sees Zionism as a form of imperialism and takes a consistent opposition to all imperialisms without singling out Zionism as unique is wrong-headed, but not in itself antisemitic.
Bob may (or may not) be right that such anti-Zionisms are not (or not necessarily) antisemitic, but they’re certainly not merely wrong-headed, in the same way that branding Zionism (and no other nationalism) as racism or equating Zionism with apartheid is not merely wrong-headed. For it involves misrepresenting the views of (i.e. libelling) the huge proportion of Zionists who are not imperialists. It’s thus problematic in the same way that it’s problematic when Zionism is presented as uniquely evil (more so than other nationalisms), necessarily expansionist, etc.
One can disagree as to whether or not this libel is antisemitic. I tend toward the view that it probably is, insofar as it misrepresents the views of a large number of Jews (although not only of Jews), but seem to be moving toward a position according to which whether or not it’s antisemitic isn’t hugely importance, since I see anti-Israel sentiment and prejudice as worthy of opposition in themselves.
My tentative and provisional attempt to reformulate of Bob’s sentence thus looks something like this:
finally anti-Zionism which sees Zionism and all other nationalisms as
aforms of imperialism and takes a consistent opposition to all imperialisms without singling out Zionism as unique is wrong-headed, but not in itself antisemitic.
