Zionism's Plague on the Western Psyche

When the genocide in Gaza started, I did what I could to calmly explain the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict before October 7th to people who were willing to listen, to differentiate Zionism and Judaism, and to work with people who were possibly just misguided about what Israel actually is. And for many, I don't blame them for their passive support if they weren't educated in the history; The idea of criticizing "the land for the people without a land" that was formed in the wake of the most horrific mass genocide in history is a touchy subject. But 7 months into a campaign of bombing, massacre, and acts of genocide, I can't show patience to those who uncritically support Israel. How can you see the suffering, the devastation, and the turmoil inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza and stand behind any entity that would do such a thing? The mass graves, the blatant massacre of children, luring starving Palestinians to an aid drop and proceeding to massacre them. The destruction of every hospital, school, religious center (including churches), piece of public infrastructure, and the bombing of refugee camps. Every single day, I open up my phone, and from a massive place of privilege, see the destruction, demoralization, and devastation inflicted onto the Palestinian people. And there's almost nothing I can do, it's a hopeless feeling knowing what the Palestinians are going through and it's enraging seeing such a large group of people lack empathy for our fellow humans. 

Self defense never gives justification to genocide. And on that point, what is Israel "defending" from? Israel, since 1948, has been stealing Palestinian land, congregating Palestinians into smaller and smaller tracts of land, creating an oppressive apartheid state, and committing other acts of terror onto the people indigenous to the land. I will never condemn a resistance movement for resisting an oppressive entity. Nobody told the French to use a peaceful means of resisting Nazi occupation. Entities like Hamas have tried making peaceful resolutions with Israel, but none were ever taken into consideration. When a densely populated area hosting 2 million people is restricted from moving around, has its calories counted for food deliveries, is left under general blockade, and no peaceful means of protest or diplomacy proves successful, what other option than violence does a group have? The Troubles in Ireland would have never happened if Britain didn't keep the northern third of their nation as a colony. The Vietnamese would have never waged war with France if they gave up their colonial holdings peacefully. And Hamas would have never retaliated towards Israel if there wasn't 80 years of violence inflicted upon them.

I deeply empathize with the Jewish people of the world for the atrocities inflicted on them, before the Holocaust, during, and after, but "never again" means never again for any group of people. Being a victim of genocide doesn't give you the right to inflict one on another people. Though it should be said, Zionism contradicts the fundamental tenets of Judaism and should not be treated as a representative of the religion. See the protests against the settler colonial entity, every single time, without fail, actual Jewish people will show up in support of Palestine because they know that Zionism violates the Torah. Most of Zionism's support comes from the Evangelical Christian Right and western governments with military interests in the region. As our sitting president as of right now, Joe Biden, once said "if there was no Israel, we would have to invent one." Israel is the US' aircraft carrier in the middle of SW Asia. Without funding from the US, Israel wouldn't exist, so it ultimately submits to the US (or in some cases, it's the other way around). The Zionist entity isn't one that represents the Jewish people of the world, it's the representative of US and western interests in the region. And the issue isn't with Netanyahu's right-wing government, a "left-wing" Zionism will still repress, dehumanize, and repress the native populations of Palestine, just under a red banner. Zionism is an inherently imperialist project. The founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, would have been content with taking Argentina too, if Palestine didn't work out. Before the Zionist occupation, Palestine was a secular entity, being home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims who all lived in peace. Israel is an ethno-state that oppresses the Muslim and even the Christian in their native land. No people have the right to an ethno-state, not Christians, not Jews, not Muslims. The issue with Zionism isn't it raising the banner of Judaism, it's the imperialist, ethno-nationalistic, settler colonial state which it creates.

When it is projected that over 85,000 Palestinians will die well before the end of this year, I have no patience for anyone who voices support for Israel and Zionism. Truly, one who doesn't at least distance themselves from supporting Israel at this point is heartless in my mind; do you not have compassion for your fellow human beings?

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.