Why do so many Jewish people angrily insist that anti-zionism equals anti-semetism?

Answer 1

Because they are bigotted.
There are plenty of jews who are anti-zionist

Answer 2

Anti zionism = denying the right of the Jewish state to exist.

So what an anti zionist is saying is that while Muslims are allowed to have FIFTY-SEVEN countries, Jews are not allowed to have the Jewish state - which takes up 0.01% of the middle east.

If someone says to you: 'Oh, I love Jews - but I don't believe that the Jewish homeland should exist' what would YOU call that?

Criticism of Israel's policies and actions is NOT automatically 'anti semitism' - I agree with you there.

Saying negative things about aspects of Israel - not anti semitic, either.

But many, many, many people utterly condemn the Jewish state, when they are MISDEFINING zionism to start with!!!

Also, many people condemn Israel on the basis of inaccurate historical information.

Finally: I can assure you that on countless occasions, I have heard people insist they are 'only anti zionist' before launching into a tirade against Israel that INCLUDES many of the anti Jewish sentiment that characterises racism.

I don't expect non Jews to always have the same sensitivities: of course you don't.

But it would be lovely if you would accept that, as the ones on the receiving end of anti semitism, we are very experienced at recognising it!

Answer 3

Well, let's see. Many people criticize France, yet there is no such thing as anti-Gallism. The British Empire was hated the world over, yet never was there such an ideology as anti-Anglicism. Lots of people criticize and villify the United States, but at least THEY themselves don't claim to embrace "anti-Americanism". Many people mistreat Kurds, even deny their claims for statehood -- but there is no such (pseudo)-intellectual movement as "anti-Kurdistanism".

Only the criticism of Israel, for some reason, has it's own name. It's not simply criticism of a government and its practices, some of which, truth be told, are clearly objectionable -- it's a whole philosophy. And like it or not, it's rooted in nothing other than Israel's Jewish character and the Jewish heritage of most Israelis. Criticism of Israel, even harsh, is not automatically anti-Semitism; but "anti-Zionism" is merely a new polite by-word for the same old Judeophobia. Its main objection (often unspoken, even obscured, but invariably betrayed) is not so much to what Israel does, but to the fact that it is a homeland for Jews.

There is a very simple lithmus test to distinguish good-faith criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism: the presence or absence of a double standard. Cut Israelis the same slack you would cut Israel's enemies. Don't villify Israel for something you would not object to if done by any other country. Don't deny Jews what you would advocate for others (such as nationhood and self-determination). The word "anti-Zionism" as used today implies a systemic opposition to everything Israel does or does not do, up to, and including, Israel's very existence. No other country or nation has earned the dubious honor of inspiring an entire philosophy which advocates its non-existence (while claiming not to be a form of bigotry).

So criticize Israel all you want -- just don't give your criticisms a Jew-specific name.

Answer 4

Well let's see. Would ripping their land away from the Native Americans be considered by them as Anti-Native American?

I think so. At least according to every Native American I've ever talked to, and that's a LOT considering my step father taught science on several Reservations throughout the years.

It's no different with the Jews. Israel belongs to the Jews, long before there were even any Arabs around. Israel was the land of Canaan before the Israelites came there, it was not the land of "Palestine" nor were there any Arabs there. The Arabs came from the Arabian Peninsula LONG after that.

Answer 5

Because, given that Israel is the Jewish homeland, anti-Zionism *is* almost always anti-Semitism.

Answer 6

common sense