Let’s just state it plain: it is wrong to assume that all Jewish people support the Israeli government’s apartheid and attempted genocide of the Palestinian people. In fact, anti-Zionist voices within the Jewish community have been some of the loudest in calling for ceasefire in Gaza, the liberation of Palestine and strongly criticised the expansionist, right-wing Israeli government.
We spoke with four Jewish activists about why they reject Zionism, why they are standing up for Palestinians, and what it means for their Jewish identity.
Dr Jordana Silverstein
Dr Jordana Silverstein is an academic and writer whose work focuses on Australian Jewish history and the treatment of refugees. She has worked extensively in various Jewish community organisations within Australia. “I grew up being taught about what the Holocaust was, and what genocide is, and I teach histories of genocide. I know how to describe and identify genocide and there’s no question that [Gaza] meets the UN definition of genocide,” she says. “To see this being denied by so many Jews is awful.”
Dr Silverstein said while some in the Jewish Community are hardening in their support for Israel, others are questioning Zionism. “Every time Israel bombs Gaza more Jews question Zionism and realize that there’s something else going on from what they’ve been told,” she said. “They don’t want this done in their name. They don’t want this done full stop.”
While anti-semites, including neo-nazis, have attempted to co-opt the pro-Palestinian activism taking place in Australia and around the world, Palestinian organisers have been clear and firm in standing against antisemitism and other forms of racism. “We fight Nazis by creating solidarity with other groups that are facing racism.”
Dr Silverstein said the Jewish community needs “healthier ways of dealing with our trauma from the Holocaust” and other forms of persecution other than Zionism. “A lot of Jewish communities are saying ‘don’t weaponise my grief, don’t weaponise our trauma’,” she said. “Our trauma should lead us to not wanting grief in any form against anybody, rather than to be perpetrating it against people.”
Dr Silverstein believes Zionism makes Jewish communities see themselves as isolated from everyone else, and paints Palestinians as enemies – but that’s not what at the heart of the religion. “My Jewishness is deeply rooted in community and in values like solidarity and justice. I see my politics as as an expression of my Jewishness in many ways,” she says.
“What’s so important to me in this moment is to see that we’re in a joint problem together. [Palestinians] are my friends, siblings, and comrades.”
in naarm today, jews demanding a ceasefire! pic.twitter.com/ynpkCMkVWo
— Jordy S (@jordana_s_) October 29, 2023
Michelle Berkon
Michelle Berkon used to be a Zionist, having spent time living in a kibbutz in Israel and at one stage planned to immigrate there. But her views on Zionism and Israel radically changed in the wake of the 2014 Gaza war. “It just broke me because what I saw was the abyss of brutality, violence and dehumanisation, all of it committed by a state claiming to represent me… My whole sense of identity crumbled.”
Seeing the world’s silence in response to the attacks on Gaza led to an epiphany. “My grandparents escaped the pogroms in Europe pre-holocaust and moved from Poland and Russia. When they saw what was happening in Germany they packed up and applied for visas (to Australia). The rest of the family didn’t come. The world was silent when their families were wiped out… [In 2014] my identity, my history and my trauma was being weaponised to commit atrocities, without my consent.”
The realisation has led her to become an “accomplice” to Palestinian Liberation, rather than a ‘passive’ ally. “Our actions are to actually go into the fray with our Palestinian sisters and brothers to accomplish something with them,” she says. “Not just for them, with them.”
Berkon says some Jewish people have rejected her for taking a staunch stance on Palestine, but she takes it in her stride. “Every now and then you have to check in your rear-view mirror and make sure the people who should be hating you are still hating you, because if they aren’t you’re not doing your job,” Berkon said.
As for Zionism, she describes it as a fundamentally antisemitic ideology. “[Britain] gave Palestine to the Jews simply because they did not want us in England. During the Holocaust, neither America nor anyone else would take the boatloads of Jewish refugees.”
“The Christian Zionists, the fundamentalists who support Israel, do so because they believe the great Apocalyptic war will bring about the return of their messiah…and we’ll all burn to crisps. It’s not about love for Jews, it’s about their hatred of us.”
Gem Walsh
Gem Walsh is a Jewish activist who was involved in the protest action at Pine Gap, a large U.S. military base in central Australia, earlier this month. “Pine Gap is one of the most important US military bases outside of the US, and it’s used for both surveillance and military operations,” Walsh says. “Their activities support data for drone strikes, and precision guided missile attacks against Palestinian people.”
Pine Gap is a symbol of the colonial damage done to both the Arrernte people and Palestinians. “It would be a misrepresentation to speak out about Palestinian sovereignty and liberation without acknowledging Pine Gap is a site of resistance from Arrernte people who do not want the US military operating on their land,” she says. “There is this strong resonance between Aboriginal peoples’ fight for sovereignty, land rights and autonomy over their own land and Palestinian peoples’ struggle.”
The existence of Pine Gap is proof of a fact that most Australians don’t realise – this country is not only “rhetorically and politically” supporting the U.S. and Israel, but is “materially supporting the United States’ position.”
Walsh says that growing up, she struggled to reconcile how her faith could fit with Zionism, her political stances and queer identity. “I felt like I couldn’t be Jewish for a long time. It was detrimental to my growth and development because I’m a deeply spiritual person and I am very connected to family and ancestry.” But that changed about five years ago after she connected with the “strong, thriving, diverse, active” community of Anti-Zionist Jews in the U.S. “They weren’t just culturally Jewish, they were deeply religious as well and utilised Jewish ritual for promoting social justice,” she said.
Walsh says her activism is particularly inspired by two Jewish teachings: Tikkun Olam, to heal the world, and Tikkun HaNefesh, to heal yourself. “It’s a huge violence against us to promote the message that you can’t be a Jewish person and have access to your spirituality and traditions unless you support a nation building programme,” she says. “My Judaism has only gotten stronger as the anti-Zionist component of my political identity has been solidified.”
In fact, Walsh believes the Israeli state and military are weaponising Judaism in a way that makes the world much less safe for Jewish people. “Justice, speaking truth to power, and acting with integrity are integral parts of Judaism.”
Lilly* from the Loud Jew Collective
Lilly* is a member of the Loud Jew Collective, a Melbourne based group for anti-Zionist Jews. She asked not to be named for this piece. “The Jewish community in Australia is predominantly Zionist,” she says. “So to start questioning it means you need to be quite a critical thinker, and as people navigate that there’s a backlash… Either you’re either a Zionist, and if you’re not you’re a ‘self-hating Jew’ or an antisemite.”
The process of deconstructing Zionist beliefs can create painful ruptures in families and friendship groups, so one of the Loud Jew Collective’s aims to create Jewish community outside of the sphere of Zionism. “We had a beautiful Passover Seder together, for people who just don’t feel like they are welcome [in traditional spaces]… It’s about being very loving, and not seeing ourselves as more important or more valuable than any other human being.”
The groups also holds space for Jewish people to grieve and process heavy emotions that come with each wave of violent news from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. “When the [October 7] massacre happened in Israel we all stood there in shock, not because it was unexpected or unexplainable, just because of the depth of the horror,” Lilly says. It’s important to have supportive community to turn to in these moments, especially for members who have friends or family in Israel.
Activism is at the core of the collective, which means solidarity with others including Indigenous peoples and Palestinian people. “We have genuine ongoing relationships with Palestinian people in Australia, that aren’t just for the purpose of allyship. They are true friendships,” Lilly says. “We’re present, we’re available if called upon, we don’t take up space unless we are invited in to it.”
Smart people read more:
Debunking the myth that anti-Zionism is antisemitic – The Guardian
Asymmetric Warfare: A Crucial Concept In the Israel-Hamas War & Palestinian Genocide
What Does “From the River to the Sea” Really Mean? – Jewish Currents
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