Anti-Zionism not a racist ideology

Some people on this campus would like to call me anti-Semitic.
And I am not alone.

I have no desire to deny the Holocaust, nor do I believe that
Jews in any way deserved what happened to them. I do not think that
Jews are trying to take over the world or that they should be
excluded from our society, and I certainly applaud the times in
history when people of Jewish descent have been at the forefront of
fighting oppression and genocide. Furthermore, as a Muslim, I was
taught to respect and honor the people of Judaism as having
received wisdom through scripture and believing in our common
father, Abraham.

I am, however, unconditionally and unapologetically an
anti-Zionist. Now, if you mistakenly equate the political ideology
of Zionism with being Jewish, then the mistake of labeling me
anti-Semitic is understandable.

Fortunately, this misconception can easily be cleared up with a
little help from Merriam-Webster, which defines Zionism as
“an international movement originally for the establishment
of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later
for the support of modern Israel,” while defining Judaism as
“the cultural, social, and religious beliefs and practices of
the Jews.” If you’re still not convinced, I invite you
to come listen to Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss speak out against
Zionism tonight at 6 p.m. in Royce 362. Surely an Orthodox rabbi
could not be called anti-Semitic.

So what does it mean to be an anti-Zionist? If Zionism led to
the expulsion of more than 700,000 indigenous Palestinians through
coercion, massacres and destruction of homes and farms, then I am
an anti-Zionist. If Zionists claim that Palestine was empty or that
the refugee situation is somehow justified, then I am an
anti-Zionist. And if modern Zionism is defined as the support of
Israel ““ a country that has received more U.N. resolutions
condemning it than any other country in the last 40 years for human
rights violations, including the bulldozing of hundreds of homes,
building an “apartheid wall” to restrict the movement
of Palestinians and deporting hundreds of Palestinians from the
occupied territories, than I am most definitely an
anti-Zionist.

I am not denying the right of the Jewish people to
self-determination. I am not advocating the condemnation of all
Jews for the reprehensible acts of Israel. And I certainly do not
believe that Jews should receive retribution because Israelis are
now oppressing Palestinians. Anyone who makes these claims or
attempts to push their racist agenda using Israel as an excuse
should rightfully be labeled an anti-Semite, and his or her views
should not be given much weight in any serious academic debate or
discussion.

What I am saying, however, is that I should be able to stand up
and say that I am an anti-Zionist, without being afraid of being
labeled a racist. When ardent supporters of Israel claim
anti-Zionism is somehow inherently anti-Semitic, that anyone who is
an anti-Zionist is just an anti-Semite in disguise (or in denial
for that matter), the ability of both sides to present their case
fairly and openly is diminished.

There is something wrong when students, organizations and guest
speakers who come to campus can openly claim they are pro-Zionist,
but the Campus Programming Committee ““ which funds many
programs of the Muslim Student Association ““ can
“strongly recommend” that the MSA not call their week
about Palestine “Anti-Zionism Week.” Would the same
funding committee ask the organizers of Israeli Independence Week
to rename their event because many people believe the independence
of Israel should not be celebrated? Of course not. It is the
tactics and propaganda of those who do not want to hear any
criticism of Israel that hinder real discussion on a complicated
political, social and, most importantly, human issue.

If Zionists are so confident in their blind support of Israel,
they should have no need to silence their opponents by slapping on
a label of anti-Semitism when the sentiment does not exist. They
should argue their points with historical facts and evidence, and
be able to back up their ideology with logical arguments.

I, for one, am more than willing to have a rational discussion
with anyone as to why I am an anti-Zionist. Stop by the display and
table on Bruin Walk anytime this week during the MSA’s
Justice for Palestine Week. Even if you are one of those people who
try to equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, stop by anyway
““ but come prepared with facts, figures and evidence, not
absurd propaganda. Maybe it’s time for the real debate on
campus to begin.

Jukaku is a fourth-year computer science student and the
editor of Al-Talib newsmagazine, published by ASUCLA Student
Media.