# The Anti-Zionist Idea: History, Theory, & Politics (Liron Mor and Darryl Li) Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_II121tQB4 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/c_II121tQB4 --- ## Quick Overview Zionism originated as a Christian and specifically British imperial and settler-colonial project, not inherently Jewish, and functioned as an anti-Jewish and anti-Oriental endeavor to extract value and serve as a Western frontier. Anti-Zionism should broaden beyond a Jewish-centric definition to include principled objections, as exemplified by Arab Jewish critics who prioritized political over ethical positions. The concept of "the anti-Zionist idea" requires critical examination, as diverse forms of anti-Zionism exist, including those rooted in indigenous dispossession, diasporic Jewish identity, and Asian-American solidarity, each with distinct analytical frameworks and material conditions. **Key Points:** - Liron Mor asserts that Zionism is not Jewish but rather a Christian and specifically British imperial and settler-colonial project, designed to serve European interests and extract value from the East. - Mor argues that Zionism is "anti-Jewish" in a literal sense, formulated by non-Jews to the detriment of Jews and other Semites, and critiques the common US understanding of anti-Zionism as exclusively Jewish opposition. - Mor highlights the historical counter-Zionist positions of Arab Jews, such as Kim Ben Kiki, who in 1921 advocated for Jewish immigrants to integrate into local Arab culture and politics, rejecting the imposition of European values. - Darryl Li questions the notion of a singular "anti-Zionist idea," proposing that understanding the array of anti-Zionist perspectives, including those rooted in indigenous dispossession and diasporic Jewish identity, is crucial. - Li explores Asian-American solidarity with Palestine, analyzing Viet Thanh Nguyen's essay "Palestine is in Asia" and Aiko Day's concept of "alien Capital" to understand the racialization of Asian-Americans in relation to imperial geopolitics. - Li concludes that Zionism functions as a dual project of "racial Supremacy in Palestine as well as a project of racial exceptionalism in the diaspora," particularly in the United States, where it facilitated the assimilation of European-origin Jews into whiteness. **Context:** The video presents a panel discussion titled "The Anti-Zionist Idea: History, Theory, & Politics," featuring Liron Mor, Associate Professor at the University of California Irvine, and a recorded segment from Darryl Li. The discussion delves into the historical origins and conceptualizations of Zionism and anti-Zionism, challenging common understandings and exploring diverse perspectives, including those of Arab Jews and Asian-Americans. The speakers aim to provide a diagnostic analysis of Zionism's imperial and settler-colonial aspects and to broaden the definition of anti-Zionism beyond identity-based frameworks. ## Detailed Analysis Liron Mor argues that Zionism is fundamentally a Christian and British imperial project, not a Jewish one, and is inherently anti-Jewish in both a dialectical and literal sense. She highlights its historical formulation by non-Jews to the detriment of Jews and other Semites, serving as a mediating frontier for Western extraction and control, exemplified by Lord Shaftsbury's 1839 plan for Jewish resettlement to increase British agricultural output and Herzl's vision of Israel as a "rampart of Europe against Asia." Mor critiques the common US understanding of anti-Zionism as exclusively Jewish opposition, proposing a broader "counter-Zionism" based on principled objection regardless of identity. She illustrates this with the historical counter-Zionist positions of Arab Jews like Kim Ben Kiki, who in 1921 advocated for Jewish immigrants to integrate into local Arab culture rather than imposing European values, rejecting the "Villa in the Jungle" mentality. Darryl Li, in his recorded segment, questions the singular notion of "the anti-Zionist idea," suggesting a need to understand the array of anti-Zionist perspectives. He outlines two common caricatures: the "anti-Zionism of the Native," which rejects Zionism due to indigenous dispossession, and the Jewish diasporic anti-Zionism, which critiques territorial nationalism in favor of diasporic existence. Li explores a different diasporic perspective through Asian-American politics, noting the recent increase in Asian-American solidarity with Palestine. He analyzes Viet Thanh Nguyen's essay "Palestine is in Asia," finding it geographically assertive but lacking a clear racial politics for Asian-American solidarity. Li then turns to Aiko Day's concept of "alien Capital" to explain Asian racialization, drawing a parallel between Jews under National Socialism and Asians as personifications of abstract labor, while noting the geopolitical differences in their racialization due to imperialism. He concludes that understanding Zionism requires recognizing it as a project of racial supremacy in Palestine and racial exceptionalism in the diaspora. ### Liron Mor's Introduction and Discomfort - Mor expresses gratitude for the conference but also discomfort with the contrast between the intellectual setting and the ongoing suffering in Gaza, and with being the first speaker - She notes her initial confusion in the US regarding "anti-Zionist" meaning primarily "Jews who opposed Zionism," which implies Jews are Zionist until proven otherwise - Mor proposes two objections: Zionism is not Jewish but a Christian/British imperial project, and anti-Zionism should not rely on Jewish identity. ### Zionism as an Anti-Jewish and Imperial Project - Mor argues Zionism is a non-Jewish and anti-Jewish project, formulated by non-Jews to the detriment of Jews and other Semites - She cites Lord Shaftsbury's 1839 plan to resettle Jews in Palestine for British economic extraction, viewing Jews as partially Eastern but "emancipated from the worst Eastern excesses" - Zionism served as a "mediating bridge" and a "protective border" for Europe, with Herzl framing it as a "rampart of Europe against Asia" - The "Villa in the Jungle" metaphor, coined by Ehud Barak, describes Israel as a Western bubble in a savage Middle East, which Mor reinterprets as a "safari" for value extraction - Jabotinsky's 1926 essay advocated for cleansing the land of Israel of "every trace of the Oriental Soul," including Eastern Jewish traditions. ### Broadening Anti-Zionism - The Case of Arab Jews: Mor advocates for broadening anti-Zionism beyond Jewish identity, suggesting "counter-Zionism" as a term for principled objection - She highlights Arab Jewish critics of Zionism, who objected based on political values like communism or Arab nationalism, not their Jewish identity - Kim Ben Kiki, a Jewish Palestinian born in 1887, distinguished between "Western or settler Zionism" that imposes European systems and an "Eastern or native Zionism" that accepts Jewish immigration only if Jews integrate into local Arab culture - Ben Kiki criticized European Zionists for failing to see that their project aimed to create an isolated society, arguing that a solution required a change in Zionist ideology itself to integrate into local space. ### Darryl Li's Framework for Anti-Zionism - Li questions the singular notion of "the anti-Zionist idea," advocating for understanding diverse anti-Zionist perspectives - He identifies two caricatures: the "anti-Zionism of the Native," which rejects Zionism due to indigenous dispossession, and Jewish diasporic anti-Zionism, which rejects territorial nationalism in favor of diasporic existence - Li seeks to explore a different diasporic perspective through Asian-American politics and solidarity with Palestine. ### Asian-American Solidarity and Racialization - Li notes the recent growth in Asian-American student groups inviting discussions on Palestine, seeing it as a form of human solidarity against colonialism - He critiques Viet Thanh Nguyen's essay "Palestine is in Asia" for asserting a geographical commonality without a clear racial politics for Asian-American solidarity - Li turns to Aiko Day's "alien Capital" thesis, which argues that Asian labor is racialized as "alien Capital," drawing an analogy to how Jews personified finance capital under National Socialism - He emphasizes that while both groups may have sociological similarities, their racialization differs due to the geopolitics of imperialism, with anti-Asian racism connected to anxieties over geopolitical threats from East Asia, contrasting with Zionism's role in US imperialism after 1967. ### Zionism's Dual Racial Project - Li concludes that Zionism must be understood as a project of racial supremacy in Palestine and racial exceptionalism in the diaspora - He highlights how the close overlap of interests between Israel and US imperialism after 1967 allowed Jews of European origin to assimilate into whiteness while embracing ethnic particularity in the United States.