Anti-zionism or Anti-semitism

[alanjjohnstone]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-43540795

Is this equating anti-zionism with anti-semitism?

If so, are the pro-zionist lobby guilty of antisemitism when they call Chomsky and Finkelstein – self-hating Jews for their anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian stance

Norman Finkelstein briefly on the topic 

I recall an interview a while back where Finkelstein disagreed that there was a rise of anti-semitism in the US and pointed out it was the opposite, that the American Jewish population were becoming fully accepted at all levels of society – and that was before we had the President's son-in-law being Jewish and his daughter converting. 

As an aside, during this debate there has been silence of the anti-semitism in the Tory Party which i was led to believe was rife with it ….has the Tories changed or has their politics just got more clever and the media decline to expose it. I also recall an eerie silence when the previous Labour governments were reluctant to condemn Israel…and i think Gerald Kaufman was one of the most vociferous critics of that policy. 

[Sympo]

"Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews. At best, this derives from the far left's obsessive hatred of Zionism, Zionists and Israel"I don't know what it means to be against Zionism. Does it mean that you want to deport Jews from Israel or does it mean that you believe that the idea of creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine was a mistake?They also write:"When Jews complain about an obviously anti-Semitic mural in Tower Hamlets, Corbyn of course supports the artist."But a BBC article states that:"He later called the mural 'deeply disturbing' and backed its removal."https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-politics-43531575You might argue that Corbyn secretely likes the mural but it would be nice to bring up the fact that he changed his mind.They also say that he likes Hezbollah.From a Guardian article:"Asked whether he still regarded Hamas and Hezbollah as 'friends', the Labour leader said: 'No. It was inclusive language I used which with hindsight I would rather not have used. I regret using those words, of course.'https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/04/jeremy-corbyn-says-he-regrets-calling-hamas-and-hezbollah-friendsI guess it's possible that Corbyn is an antisemite, but I don't personally believe that he is.

[alanjjohnstone]

The Socialist Standard view on Zionismhttps://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2000s/2006/no-1226-october-2006/zionism-myth-and-realityhttps://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2000s/2007/no-1229-january-2007/zionism-and-anti-semitismhttps://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1910s/1918/no-166-june-1918/futility-zionismAnd many more but which can be summarised as 

Quote:

The truth is that those who saw a solution in Zionist nationalism—in having their own laws, prisons, borders, army and weapons of destruction—were naive. Their form of nationalism is no less aggressive or bigoted than is ever the case under a system of society where the laws of the jungle are presented as being the rules of civilised conduct. Every nation's flag is dripping with the blood of its enemies; every ruling class pays for its power in other people's lives. Nationalism can never be a solution to the problems of oppression: it was not for the Jews; it would not be for the Palestinians. The problem is class, not national, racial, or religious origins.

Holocaust 2

[Author]

Posts