I think that’s the funniest/saddest aspect of all this. My kids are half Jewish. My ex-wife is Jewish so needless to say I am well aware of the complexity of the history surrounding Israel and Palestine.
Even the history of zionism is more complex, and it has been captured by the worst demons of the ideology.
Sure, it’s inherently problematic for anyone who values the separation of state and religion, and in a modern political landscape it does read like a recipe for disaster. Based on the old testament and Jewish history however, it’s easy to see the romantic appeal of Zion without it at all justifying the terrors of modern zionism.
So I agree with your point completely - I just wouldn’t treat Zion as a slur. That said I also don’t think zionism in its contemporary form has any legitimate role to play, and it’s a cancer on the world like so many isms before it.
Assuming you’re not baiting it’s an extremely complex answer of which there are a multitude of factors including but not limited to
Religious exceptionalism (they are the chosen children of G-d)
Inability to adequately separate religious identity from cultural identity (a criticism of one is a criticism of the other)
Right wing lunacy (fuck Benjamin)
Superiority complex (see point one)
Historical prescident removing ability to discuss
For each of these points there is a lot and I mean a fuckton of nuance. But as someone who has spent the better part of 20 years in and around the community despite all the good people and caring people and loving people there is this underbelly that can do no wrong and cannot be reasoned with. There is a part in any conversation around the discussion of Israel and Palestine where there is no dialogue.
In that, both sides have failed spectacularly but it has to be stated that only one side has the full unequivocal support of the US government and yet still behaves like a bully in the playground because of something that happened years ago.
Hurt people hurt people. I would argue that Jews as a people continue to have trauma from WW2.
Now before anyone flips their shit remember that people are entitled their opinions and regardless of if you agree or disagree I’d like to think when it comes to what I have experienced those opinions are valid.
Well, some Jews have lost the plot, and certainly Jewish communities are not immune to the sociological conditions that drive people towards segregationist politics and even genocides.
That is to say, we all lost the plot, but we love capitalism and imperialism more than we fear watching society devolve into hate, genocide and warfare.
The IDF took to annihilating Gaza like SWAT in the US to COD gamers in poor communities. If that’s not a sign to reconsider our priorities, I don’t know what is. But it certainly implies we’re still savage apes not ready for the big leagues of civilization and exploration.
Please don’t buy into the Israeli narrative that what they’re doing represents all of us. I’m a Jew, but I’m not an Israeli, and recognize that Hamas and the Israeli government both suck.
I think that’s the funniest/saddest aspect of all this. My kids are half Jewish. My ex-wife is Jewish so needless to say I am well aware of the complexity of the history surrounding Israel and Palestine.
But damn if Jews have lost the plot.
Agreed, but let’s use the term z*onist because there are plenty of Jews who denounce this despicable regime.
Even the history of zionism is more complex, and it has been captured by the worst demons of the ideology.
Sure, it’s inherently problematic for anyone who values the separation of state and religion, and in a modern political landscape it does read like a recipe for disaster. Based on the old testament and Jewish history however, it’s easy to see the romantic appeal of Zion without it at all justifying the terrors of modern zionism.
So I agree with your point completely - I just wouldn’t treat Zion as a slur. That said I also don’t think zionism in its contemporary form has any legitimate role to play, and it’s a cancer on the world like so many isms before it.
Respectfully disagree. This ain’t about Zionism although it definitely plays a big part.
What’s it really about?
Assuming you’re not baiting it’s an extremely complex answer of which there are a multitude of factors including but not limited to
For each of these points there is a lot and I mean a fuckton of nuance. But as someone who has spent the better part of 20 years in and around the community despite all the good people and caring people and loving people there is this underbelly that can do no wrong and cannot be reasoned with. There is a part in any conversation around the discussion of Israel and Palestine where there is no dialogue.
In that, both sides have failed spectacularly but it has to be stated that only one side has the full unequivocal support of the US government and yet still behaves like a bully in the playground because of something that happened years ago.
Hurt people hurt people. I would argue that Jews as a people continue to have trauma from WW2.
Now before anyone flips their shit remember that people are entitled their opinions and regardless of if you agree or disagree I’d like to think when it comes to what I have experienced those opinions are valid.
Well, some Jews have lost the plot, and certainly Jewish communities are not immune to the sociological conditions that drive people towards segregationist politics and even genocides.
That is to say, we all lost the plot, but we love capitalism and imperialism more than we fear watching society devolve into hate, genocide and warfare.
The IDF took to annihilating Gaza like SWAT in the US to COD gamers in poor communities. If that’s not a sign to reconsider our priorities, I don’t know what is. But it certainly implies we’re still savage apes not ready for the big leagues of civilization and exploration.
Please don’t buy into the Israeli narrative that what they’re doing represents all of us. I’m a Jew, but I’m not an Israeli, and recognize that Hamas and the Israeli government both suck.
Agree. I’m generalizing there and I know there’s a large amount of Jews that are extremely upset and do not support Netanyahu.