Jew World Order

You have surely read about the decision by the Washington DC branch of Sunrise Movement, the five-year-old group demanding action to stop climate change, to withdraw from a Freedom to Vote Rally in the capital tomorrow because of the participation of three Zionist groups in the coalition sponsoring the rally.

The decision shocked Jewish establishment organizations because it seems to portend a political future in which Zionism and progressivism are irreconcilable. Centrist Jewish groups accused Sunrise DC of antisemitism, while liberal Zionist organizations called the decision wrong. Many pro-Israel politicians have also condemned the decision, and the national Sunrise Movement distanced itself from its DC “hub”‘s decision though it did not condemn it.

Sunrise MovementDC acted because of three pro-Israel Jewish groups: National Action Center of Reform Judaism, National Council for Jewish Women, and Jewish Council for Public Affairs, all of which have been vigorously pro-Israel. It had no objection to two other Jewish groups that are not Zionist in their approach that are in the voting rights rally coalition: Bend the Arc/Jewish Action and Workers Circle.

Sunrise DC’s decision is in line with a view on the left that you can’t be a Zionist and be a progressive. Sunrise is a generational movement, and the decision reflects the surprising numbers of young people (Jews in this recent survey) who say that Israel is an “apartheid state” (38 percent), Israel practices genocide (33 percent), Israel has no right to exist (20 percent). If you have such views, then it can’t be so surprising that you don’t want to sponsor a rally with groups that support Israel.

But let’s go to some of the very strong reaction to the decision.

The American Jewish Committee laid out the stakes very clearly. Zionism is an element of Judaism:

Zionism is the movement for Jewish self-determination in [Israeli flag] …. Anti-Zionism is considered antisemitic by over 80% of American Jews. To shun Zionists is to shun the overwhelming majority of Jews. This is antisemitism, plain and simple.

The Anti-Defamation League also said the decision was antisemitic because it opposes “Jewish nationhood”. Jonathan Greenblatt wrote:

Sunrise Movement DC is refusing participation in a voting rights rally because of the presence of “Zionist organizations.” This is the vilification of Jewish nationhood and a litmus test for all who support it. This is antisemitic – plain and simple.

Democratic Majority for Israel was plainly alarmed by the litmus test, as it threatens the oxymoron that is at the heart of the Democratic Party’s support for Israel– you can be a progressive and also be in favor of giving more arms to Israel to persecute Palestinians. DMFI is angry:

[This] foul, falsehood-filled, antisemitic statement is designed to expel Jews from progressive spaces. A secure Jewish state & a Palestinian state are both just. DMFI will… continue working together with those truly committed to justice as we fight against climate change, for voting rights, and other causes.

Liberal Zionists didn’t say the decision was antisemitic, but wrong on cancellation/marginalization grounds. J Street, a leading liberal Zionist group, condemned the decision as “saddening, harmful and wrong” in a statement by Kevin Rachlin, J Street’s vice president of public affairs, to Jewish Insider.

“Seeking to bar liberal pro-Israel and Zionist groups and individuals from progressive coalitions and spaces disrespects and alienates a large portion of the American Jewish community — and does nothing to actually help the Palestinian people, combat occupation or promote peace. Progressive advocates for Palestinian rights and other important causes should seek to engage and share views with liberal Jewish institutions — not treat them with dismissive contempt.”

Hadar Susskind of Americans for Peace Now also called the decision “immensely wrong” and termed it an unacceptable cancellation/marginalization:

Trying to keep Jewish and yes, Zionist organizations, from participating in our civic life is not an acceptable action regardless of your views on Israel-Palestine. It’s not ok when Jewish groups do this to Muslim and Arab groups and this is not ok either.

Here it must be said that almost all Zionist groups exclude the participation of anti-Zionist Jews– and anti-Zionist Palestinians. Those who support BDS are not invited to activist panels at progressive Jewish organizations, with some very rare exception. Those holding such views are routinely redlined from mainstream media and political organizations too (the Axel Springer order to journalists, for instance). That sort of cancellation has gone on forever: on the basis of a Zionist principle, support for a Jewish state (on Palestinian lands).

So in that sense SunriseDC is merely giving the Zionists a taste of their own medicine, on the basis of a principle of equality.

Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, closely associated with liberal Zionist causes, said he was calling on SunriseDC to withdraw its statement, because NCJW, Religious Action Center and JCPA were all at the forefront of progressive change. Raskin said he was “startled and chagrined” by this “frightful sectarian scapegoating,” but did not call it antisemitic as such.

For the life of me, at a time when racism antisemitism and rightwing authoritarianism are on the march in the United States and all over the world, I cannot comprehend the political or moral logic of this statement.

“Let progressives be the voice of reason, human solidarity and progress,” Raskin said. Though SunriseDC could surely say the same thing in justifying the cancellation of Zionists.

New York politicians were all over the SunriseDC decision. New York Congresswoman Kathleen Rice says:

I condemn this decision in the strongest terms. Withdrawing from a political event because of the participation of Jewish groups is antisemitism.

Rep. Tom Suozzi of Long Island:

Sunrise Movement’s DC chapter’s refusal to take part in Saturday’s voting rights rally because of the involvement of progressive Jewish groups is misguided, counterproductive, and just plain wrong. Support for Israel does not disqualify any individuals’ or groups’ right to participate in American public life.

Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx has positioned himself as a pro-Israel congressperson par excellence. He sees the movement on the left and calls it antisemitic.

There’s a concerted effort to ideologically cleanse progressive politics of anyone or anything that dares to believe in Israel’s right to exist. The fearmongering about “Zionist organizations” has an undeniable undercurrent of Antisemitism that cannot and should not be ignored.

Jerry Nadler, Manhattan and Brooklyn congressperson, called the decision “misguided, unproductive, offensive and wrong.”

Grace Meng of Queens called the decision “unfortunate & wrong, &… unhelpful and counterproductive.”

Rep. Mondaire Jones (NY) and Sen. Edward Markey (MA), both of whom were endorsed by Sunrise, issued statements condemning the decision to Jewish Insider.

Here is the National Sunrise Movement’s statement on the controversy. It condemned antisemitism and distanced itself from SunriseDC’s decision but did not condemn it outright:

Our work on behalf of all humanity is rooted in the value of human dignity and we reject all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism…

Sunrise Movement is a decentralized grassroots movement. Hundreds of hubs like Sunrise DC exist across the country powered by volunteers, and each of them has the ability to act independently — whether it’s organizing protests, supporting candidates, or sending out public statements. Sunrise DC made a decision to issue this statement, and we weren’t given the chance to look at it before it became public….

As a national movement that supports freedom and dignity for all people, we will always welcome anyone who acts on our principles and chooses to join the fight for collective liberation. We believe that the rights of Palestinians are a part of that struggle and are committed to embracing that struggle together.”

The ADL was disappointed by that statement. (It wanted what the George Washington University chapter of Sunrise said, calling the DC hub’s action “unquestionably antisemitic”.) Ira Glunts taunts the ADL and says that Sunrise DC is the future of progressive politics:

Jonathan, the @sunrisemvmt did not cave in to your bullying. That surprises both of us. One day all supporters of Israeli oppression will be excluded from progressive partnerships. Criticism of Israeli apartheid is not antisemitism. It’s anti racism.

Thanks to Dave Reed and Michael Arria.

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