[lbo-talk] anti-Zionism: pons asinorum

Joseph Catron jncatron at gmail.com
Thu Jun 30 19:38:27 PDT 2011


On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 5:11 AM, Eric Beck <ersatzdog at gmail.com> wrote:

Of course it might also be worth exploring whether/in which instances
> anti-Zionism/-Israelism without an accompanying, general
> antistatism--ie, that sees Israel as exceptionally odious--couldn't
> just be known by its simpler, more accurate name: racism.

I think you misunderstand the nature of political struggle and its outcomes. One usually comes to understand the problematic nature of a system as a whole by first challenging specific manifestations of it. Struggle itself radicalizes, at least under ideal circumstances. And to target the current regime occupying Palestine without comprehensively opposing imperialism as a whole is no more racist than going on strike before becoming a committed anti-capitalist.

Be that as it may, was there anything racist, or otherwise objectionable, about treating apartheid-era South Africa as "exceptionally odious"? I'm reminded of a clever quip from somebody - I don't remember whom - about how Zionists seemed to think those protesting Israel were also obligated to rotate their pickets among every embassy in the capital ...

-- "Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre, mod sceal þe mare, þe ure mægen lytlað."



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