Monthly Archives: September 2024

Bundism: a Socialist Jewish Alternative to Zionism

The Jewish Bund: An Overlooked Alternative to Zionism and Its Enduring Legacy

Introduction

Growing up in the United States with a Jewish mother, I didn’t encounter any negative views about Israel until my teenage years, when I was confronted with the truth about Zionism. In my family, Israel was always spoken of with admiration. Whether I was talking to my mom, grandma, grandpa, or uncle, Israel was deeply embedded in our conversations.

Beyond my family’s views, pro-Zionist rhetoric insidiously wormed its way into me, as it does for many in the United States. Phrases like “Israel is the only pillar of democracy in the Middle East” and “Israel is the safest place for Jews,” along with other narratives about Western values, have formed a constant backdrop to my life. Anti-Zionism and Socialism are both considered somewhat taboo topics in Western society. This is likely why I didn’t come across the Jewish Socialist Bund until much later. As Decolonize Palestine explains in their article, Zionism often presents democratic “window dressing” that hides underlying inequalities.

The Jewish Bund, commonly known as the Bund, was a socialist organization that operated within the Russian Empire. It strongly opposed Zionism and argued that without an end to Jewish oppression, any socialist revolution would be meaningless for Jewish workers. They held anti-Zionist views over 100 years ago. What are the connections between the current events in Gaza and the West Bank today? What lessons can we learn from the Bund as anti-Zionists? What political insights can we gain from the Bund?

History and Formation of the Bund

Proto-Bund

In the Pale of Settlement, a territory within czarist Russia where Jews were confined, a radical socialist spark ignited.

In 1897, thirteen members of Jewish radical organizations from across the Russian Empire met in Vilna (now Vilnius, Lithuania). To avoid suspicion, they met from September 25 to September 27, 1897, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Secrecy was paramount; none of the thirteen members were ever in the same room simultaneously. Though secular, socialist, and anti-Zionist, the General Jewish Worker’s Bund remained deeply committed to the protection of the Jewish community.

In his essay The Ideals of the Jewish Labor Bund Have Outlived Nazi Genocide, David Rosenberg explores the Bund’s ideals and the lessons they can teach us today. Rosenberg first learned about the Bund in the context of its 1903 argument at the “London Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (RSDLP) for the right to autonomously agitate in Yiddish among Jewish workers.” This debate ultimately divided the party into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

The Polish Bund

Many prominent figures saw the Jewish Bund as separatists or nationalists, while others viewed it as irrelevant for opposing Zionism, particularly during the 1930s. However, Rosenberg admired the courage of the Bund’s secret 1897 meeting. Ironically, this occurred the same year Theodor Herzl launched the Zionist movement. Rosenberg describes the Bund’s opposition to Zionism as a struggle between internationalism vs. nationalism, integration vs. isolation, optimism vs. pessimism, and class struggle vs. class collaboration.

Rosenberg’s assessment reveals a Bund that is an overlooked movement and a crucial player in today’s anti-Zionist struggle.

The Bund’s Resistance to Zionism

The Bund maintained its principled opposition to Zionism and instead advocated for a bi-national arrangement that would provide self-determination for both Jews and Palestinians. In 1948, the year of Israel’s founding and the Nakba, the Bund gained support in Sweden. However, Zionists also gained influence in the country. Swedish police, working with Zionist organizations, began an oppressive campaign against Bund members who refused to fight in Palestine. Many Bundists were placed in displaced persons camps, where they were subject to mistreatment and coercion.

In September 1948, ultraright Zionists assassinated Folke Bernadotte, the Swedish UN mediator on Palestine who had earlier been responsible for the “white buses” that transported many Jewish prisoners in Germany to Sweden in the final stages of the war, among them several Bundists. The Bund in Sweden were among the first contributors to the fund for peace and humanity established in his name. But Zionist emissaries flooded into Sweden, too, dominating the Jewish street and strongly influencing the wider Jewish community. The saddest part of the book describes the denial of communal facilities for Bund meetings by mainstream Jewish institutions, and the boycotting and marginalization of Bundist survivors in Sweden, after everything they had been through.

The Jewish Bund didn’t last much longer after that. As Zionism swept through Europe and Israel became a state, anti-Zionist voices were increasingly suppressed. After the Holocaust, Zionists persecuted Bund members, forcing them out of jobs and even imprisoning them in camps. Similar tactics of oppression continue in the West Bank today.

Palestinian woman comforts grieving family

As evidenced by Human Rights Watch:

On the basis of its research, Human Rights Watch concludes that the Israeli government has demonstrated an intent to maintain the domination of Jewish Israelis over Palestinians across Israel and the OPT. In the OPT, including East Jerusalem, that intent has been coupled with systematic oppression of Palestinians and inhumane acts committed against them. When these three elements occur together, they amount to the crime of apartheid.

Conclusion

It’s 2024, and Zionism continues to cause incalculable harm to the Palestinian people. My heart bleeds for Palestine, but I also mourn the generational trauma and cyclical abuse afflicting the people of Israel. Zionism has not made the world a safer place for Jews; in many ways, it has perpetuated their insecurity. That’s a subject for another time, but the persecution of the Bund in Sweden demonstrates that Zionism hasn’t safeguarded Jewish lives.

As I sit in my bedroom, writing this blog, I identify with the Bund. Even though I only discovered their movement three days ago, I feel deeply connected to their struggle. Like many anti-Zionists, I’ve been labeled a “self-hating Jew” or an “anti-Semite” for rejecting Zionism. I’m sure the Bundists faced similar accusations. Zionism teaches us to feel ashamed for questioning it. I felt that shame creep in for a brief moment—but I won’t anymore.

No one is free until Palestine is free.

References

Israel’s Intent: Unpacking the Complexities of Zionism, Identity, and the Palestinian Struggle

Introduction: Growing up in a secular household with a Jewish mother, my connection to my heritage was often indirect and abstract. As a child, I proudly claimed my dual heritage—half Irish and half Jewish—though I didn’t understand what that meant. I began exploring my identity more deeply. I found that my Jewish heritage became entangled with political beliefs, especially as I came to terms with the realities of Zionism and Israel’s role in the conflict with Palestine. This journey forced me to confront the uncomfortable question: What is Israel’s true intent regarding the Palestinians?

The answer isn’t hidden. The Israeli state’s present actions and foundational ideologies of the formation of Israel and Zionism openly admit its expansionist genocidal philosophy.

A Journey of Discovery

As a teenager,

I sought identity and belonging through punk music. This led me to various online discussions, ranging from anarchism to writers like Jack Kerouac. Eventually, these conversations shifted to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was in these spaces that I first encountered troubling information about Israel’s policies and treatment of Palestinians.

I was shocked to learn about Gaza, often described as an open-air prison due to the blockade that restricts freedom of movement and resources. Additionally, I learned about the systemic human rights violations in the West Bank. The realization that Israel—a state I had been taught was a refuge for Jews and a symbol of security after the Holocaust—was involved in actions many consider akin to apartheid and occupation left me grappling with painful dissonance.

The suffering endured by Jews throughout history, particularly during the Holocaust, seemed to be weaponized as a justification for oppressing another group—the Palestinians. As I dug deeper, it became clear that Israel’s actions were not isolated or circumstantial. Instead, they reflected a broader, long-standing intent to control Palestinian land and subjugate its people. This intent, as I learned, is embedded within the very foundations of the Zionist movement.

Reconnecting with Heritage

I found myself needing to separate my Jewish identity from Zionist ideology. Zionist rhetoric continuously looped in my head. While seeking understanding, I discovered a growing community of anti-Zionist Jews who challenged the conflation of Jewish identity with the actions of the Israeli state. Jewish identity, rooted in ethical principles, does not necessitate support for a political project that displaces, oppresses, and marginalizes another group of people.

This perspective resonated with me. It allowed me to embrace my Jewish heritage with pride while rejecting Zionism. I began to understand that opposing the occupation of Palestine is not a rejection of Judaism. It aligns perfectly with the Jewish commitment to justice and human dignity.

The phrase “Never Again,” a reminder of Jewish suffering during the Holocaust, must also apply to the suffering of Palestinians, who endure systemic violence and dispossession at the hands of Israel.

Historical Context and The Current Assault on Gaza

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is over a century old. The ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, along with military strategies that result in tens of thousands of innocent lives lost, purposeful denial of civilian resources including food, water, and medicine to the Gaza Strip, massive reports of malnourished children, an impending famine, and terrorist violence in the West Bank perpetrated by illegal Israeli against the Palestinian people living there. The historical context, particularly the settler colonialism advocated by Zionist figureheads like Theodor Herzl, emphasizes that this is an underlying principle of Zionism.

It is crucial to recognize the difference between Zionism and Judaism. Zionism is an ultra-nationalist movement advocating for a Jewish homeland through colonialist expansion. Zionism is not a representation of Jewish rhetoric. Zionism is a representation of Zionism, a settler movement purposely propped up on the back of one of the world’s greatest tragedies. Many Jews, including myself, stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for justice while maintaining a deep connection to Jewish heritage.

The Role of Zionism in Israel’s Intent

Zionism, at its core, has always been about creating a Jewish state in historic Palestine. The Zionist movement was aware of the Palestinian native population living there. The Nakba of 1948, during which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes, was a foundational moment in the establishment of Israel and possibly the most devastating moment in the Palestinian people’s history.

The displacement of Palestinians has only accelerated today through illegal settlement expansions, illegal house demolitions, and illegal land confiscation. This falls directly in line with the Israeli state’s actions in the Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023.

Conclusion: My Identity and Commitment to Justice

Watch me pick apart my head and navigate the complexities of my identity and political beliefs; I am committed to standing against all forms of genocide and oppression. My identity as a Jew is integral to my opposition to Zionist policies that perpetuate suffering and displacement. The historical lessons of “Never Again” must extend beyond the Jewish community to encompass a universal commitment to human rights and dignity for all people. None of us are free until Palestine is free.

This blog fosters discussion and understanding around these challenging issues. I encourage readers to engage with this perspective and consider the broader implications of our collective histories and actions.

FAQs

  • What is Israel’s intent toward Palestinians?
    Israel’s intent, reflected in its continued settlement expansion, military occupation, and control over Palestinian territories, is rooted in the original Zionist vision of establishing and maintaining a Jewish state. This has led to policies that many view as oppressive and aimed at displacing the Palestinian people.
  • How do Zionism and Judaism differ?
    Zionism is a nationalist political movement that sought to create a Jewish homeland, while Judaism is a religious and ethical tradition. Many Jews, especially anti-Zionists, argue that Jewish identity does not require support for the state of Israel or its policies toward Palestinians.
  • Why do some Jews oppose Zionism?
    Some Jews oppose Zionism because they believe it contradicts the ethical values of justice and human dignity central to Judaism. Anti-Zionist Jews reject the idea that a Jewish state must be maintained at the expense of Palestinian lives and rights.
  • What is happening in Gaza?
    Gaza is under a strict blockade imposed by Israel, restricting the flow of goods, resources, and people. This blockade, combined with military operations, has created a dire humanitarian situation, leading to Gaza being referred to as an “open-air prison.”
  • Are all Jews Zionists?
    No, not all Jews are Zionists. Many Jews around the world, including groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, oppose Zionism and advocate for Palestinian rights based on principles of justice and equality.
  • How can the phrase “Never Again” apply to Palestinians?
    The phrase “Never Again” is a commitment to prevent genocide and oppression. For many, this extends beyond the Jewish experience of the Holocaust and applies to all groups, including Palestinians, who face systemic violence and dispossession.