The Anti-Zionist Idea: History, Theory, & Politics II (Ammiel Alcalay and Saree Makdisi)

Quick Overview

The violence in Gaza is not exceptional but paradigmatic, revealing Zionism's meaning as a settler-colonial project that necessitates the destruction of Palestinian homes and lives, a process supported by the overwhelming majority of Jewish Israeli society and enabled by an unprecedented US government crackdown on free speech to protect a foreign country from criticism.

Key Points: The violence in Gaza is not exceptional but "paradigmatic," revealing the true meaning of Zionism as a project that necessitates the destruction of Palestinian homes and lives. Israeli occupation operates through "quotidian routine slow violence," with thousands of Palestinian homes demolished in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Nakab Desert, while new settlements are simultaneously built for Jewish residents. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Israel's entire settlement program illegal and its presence in occupied Palestinian territory unlawful due to "sustained abuse" and frustration of Palestinian self-determination. Prominent Zionist figures, including historian Benny Morris and government adviser Arnon Sofur, have openly stated that ethnic cleansing and continuous killing are necessary for the maintenance of an exclusive Jewish state. The US government's crackdown on college campuses is an "entirely unprecedented" act of repressing citizens' free speech and academic freedom to protect a foreign country (Israel) from criticism, not to protect the US itself. This repression involves forcing universities to adopt a redefinition of antisemitism that conflates Judaism with Zionism, aiming to classify criticism of Zionism and Israeli policies as anti-Jewish hate speech and banish it from academic discourse.

Context: This panel discussion, titled "The Anti-Zionist Idea: History, Theory, & Politics II," features Professor Ammiel Alcalay of CUNY Grad Center and Professor Saree Makdisi of UCLA. The speakers delve into the historical, theoretical, and political dimensions of anti-Zionism, particularly in the context of the ongoing situation in Gaza and Palestine. They aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the conflict's roots, the nature of Zionism, and the broader geopolitical forces at play, including US foreign policy and domestic suppression of dissent.