The relationship between antisemitism and Zionism is a contentious one. For those with a bit of common sense, without vested interests and who have had even a cursory look at what Zionism and antisemitism actually are, the line is clear. Whilst it is true that antisemitism can be falsely masked as anti-Zionism, anti-Zionism is in reality anything but antisemitic. Where the line is crossed, that is nothing but an abuse of anti-Zionism, an abuse we as anti-Zionists should be vigilant about.

One area of this issue which has not been explored (to my knowledge at least) is the hypothesis that Zionism is in fact antisemitic on the basis that it represents a kind of destruction of Jewish culture and heritage. It is a bold statement to claim that Zionism works towards that end, whether intentionally or otherwise but that is one of the end results of Zionism.

Such a bold claim deserves clarity. Jewish heritage and culture, since the beginnings of the diaspora more than 2,000 years ago, has developed on a multi-ethnic and multi-regional basis. Whilst it is true that all Jews share a certain level of common experience, a common origin and genetics (with the exception of Jews who have converted in). Jewish culture, heritage and ethnicity have developed in the diaspora in diversity. There are languages such as Yiddish, most commonly spoken by Ashkenazi Jews, Ladino, most commonly spoken by Sephardi Jews and so on. There are ethnic groups such as the Mizrahim, Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Ethiopian Jews; Jews of mixed ethnicity, those converting in, etc. All sharing a common culture and heritage but all ultimately developing unique cultures and customs which make up the mosaic of Jewish life. This is the essence of Jewish life, diversity and that diversity IS Jewish heritage. Jewish heritage has NEVER ultimately been tied to any particular land. This leads us onto Zionism.

Putting it very simply and bluntly, Zionism is a nationalist concept which homogenises and sanitises Jewish culture and heritage with the intended result of pinning it to a land. That land being the state of Israel.

No longer Jewish culture but Hebrew culture, no longer Jews but Israelis. That is the Zionist and Israeli state mantra.

For centuries many people have tried relentlessly to wipe Jews and Jewish culture off the map, to relegate Jews and Jewish culture to a footnote in history. But to subvert it and to sanitise it amounts to the same thing, does it not? It absolutely does. Whether the intentions are different I can not say but what it amounts to is the same, the wiping out of Jewish culture and heritage into this neat package of “Israeli” and “Hebrew”. “Israeli” and “Hebrew” is not Jewish and Jewish culture. Of course Jews are Hebrews but now Zionism creates the conditions whereby it tries to speak for Jews. Zionism intends to be the international and ideological face of Jewry to the point of where Jews are no longer Jews (in all of the diversity the label entails) as the false Zionist/Israeli state narrative ends up creating.

It is absolutely absurd to try and fix all of that diversity and thousands of years of heritage to a single label and land. Jews are basically told that “you belong to Israel whether you fucking like it or not”. As untrue as this is (most Jews around the world have no connection with Israel), that is the end result and expressed intention of the Israeli state.

Zionism is a forced assimilation and homogenisation, under the auspices of the state of Israel, of Jewish people and heritage. This flies smack in the face of who Jewish people actually are and what Jewish culture, history and heritage actually is. Because of this end result, it can only be classed as ethnocide.

This is why Zionism and the state of Israel is antisemitic. The ethnocide of Jewish people/heritage/culture is antisemitic, by definition of the term. This is a bold statement, that much is true but what else can this ethnocide be classed as?

Zionism, along with nazism and clerical fascism such as that of Iran, Daesh, etc. is the enemy of Jewish heritage and culture as it attempts to destroy what they actually are.

It is within the interests of Jewish people the world over and within the interests of Jewish heritage and culture as it REALLY is, to see the back of Zionism. Aside from this, it is the decent thing to do due to the horrors Israel and Zionism inflict upon the people of Gaza, the West Bank and Palestinians in occupied Palestine (commonly known as “Israel”). This is in addition to the treatment Jewish dissenters within occupied Palestine receive at the hands of the Israeli state as well as Zionist groups particularly of the Kahanist variety.