Washington DC – Palestinian rights advocates are denouncing a congressional resolution that equates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, calling it a “dangerous” measure aimed at restricting free speech and distracting from the war in Gaza.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the measure Tuesday by a vote of 311 to 14, with 92 Democratic members abstaining by voting “present.”
The symbolic resolution was billed as an effort to reject “the drastic rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world.”
But it contained text saying the House “clearly and firmly declares that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.” He also condemned the slogan “From the River to the Sea,” which rights advocates see as an ambitious call for equality in historic Palestine.
Instead, the resolution describes it as a “rallying cry for the eradication of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.” He also called protesters who gathered in Washington last month to demand a cease-fire “rioters.” They “spew hateful and vile language amplifying anti-Semitic themes,” the resolution states.
Husam Marajda, an organizer with the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), said the resolution is an effort to “cancel” Palestinian rights advocates by accusing them of bigotry and labeling their criticism of Israeli policies of hate speech.
“It’s super dangerous. This sets a very, very bad precedent. It aims to criminalize our liberation struggle and our call for justice, peace and equality,” Marajda told Tel Aviv Tribune.
What is Zionism?
Zionism is a nationalist ideology that helped create the State of Israel in 1948. It asserts that the Jewish people have the right to self-determination in historic Palestine, which Zionists consider their ancestral homeland.
The rise of Zionism in the late 1800s was partly a response to anti-Semitism in Europe.
But many Palestinians reject Zionism as the driving force behind the settler colonialism that dispossessed them during Israel’s founding. The creation of Israel coincided with the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were forcibly driven from their homes in what is known as the Nakba, the Arabic word for “catastrophe.”
While Palestinians consider themselves the indigenous people of this country, Zionists assert that the Jewish people have historical and biblical claims to what is now Israel.
Some radical Zionists, including members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, claim that the current Palestinian territories – the West Bank and Gaza – also belong to Israel.
During a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in November, Netanyahu held up a map of Israel showing the country stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, encompassing the West Bank, Gaza and Syria’s Golan Heights.
Some Palestinians also blame Zionism for Israeli abuses against them, which amount to apartheid, according to leading human rights groups like Amnesty International.
In the United States, supporters of Palestinian rights have long rejected conflations between Zionism and Judaism, noting that many American Jews identify as anti-Zionists.
“Opposing Israeli government policies and Netanyahu’s extremism is not anti-Semitic. Defending human rights and a ceasefire to save lives should never be condemned,” Palestinian-American lawmaker Rashida Tlaib said in a social media post on Tuesday, explaining her vote against the resolution.
“Extremely dangerous”
Marajda stressed that Palestinians have the right to oppose Zionism, a position he said has nothing to do with prejudice.
“This resolution says that if you criticize the Israeli government, you essentially hate the Jewish people,” he said. “I did not choose – the Palestinians did not choose – their occupiers.”
The resolution is one of several pro-Israel motions approved by Congress since October 7. Most U.S. lawmakers have expressed unwavering support for Israel over its Gaza offensive, which has killed more than 16,000 Palestinians.
Yasmine Taeb, legislative and policy director of MPower Change, an American Muslim advocacy group, called the resolution “extremely dangerous.”
“This unequivocally equates any criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism. Essentially, it vilifies the millions and millions of people protesting around the world for a lasting ceasefire, including American Jewish organizations,” Taeb told Tel Aviv Tribune.
The advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) was quick to also denounce the congressional measure.
“Wrongly declaring anti-Zionism to be anti-Semitism confuses all Jews with the State of Israel and puts our communities at risk. This fuels deadly violence and censorship campaigns against Palestinians,” JVP Action said in a social media post.
“We are proud anti-Zionist Jews. We refuse to pit communities against each other.
We must be firm and clear in our condemnation of anti-Semitism. The extreme GOP resolution introduced today had no Democratic co-sponsors and inappropriately declared all anti-Zionism to be anti-Semitism. Obfuscating the issue of what anti-Semitism is is completely wrong and unnecessary.
– Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) December 5, 2023
All but one House Republican — Congressman Thomas Massie — voted in favor of the resolution. But Democrats were divided on this measure: 13 voted against and 95 for, in addition to the 92 who abstained with a “present” vote.
Jerrold Nadler, a key Democrat in the Jewish House, criticized the resolution Monday, emphasizing that some Jewish communities oppose Zionism for religious reasons and should not be labeled anti-Semitic.
“Even if the essence of anti-Zionism is indeed anti-Semitic, the authors, if they were at all familiar with Jewish history and culture, would have to know Jewish anti-Zionism which was, and is not. , expressly not anti-Semitic,” he said.
Democrats divided
Nadler accused Republicans of using their support for Israel to promote “partisan gridlock at the expense of the Jewish community.” However, he did not vote against the resolution on Tuesday. He opted for “present”.
The vote highlighted divisions among Democrats over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. While the progressive wing of the party has been pushing for a cease-fire, President Joe Biden and the majority of congressional Democrats have avoided such calls.
But it could signal a disconnect from the party’s base. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in November indicated that 62 percent of Democratic voters considered Israel’s response “excessive.” Two out of three respondents supported a ceasefire.
I oppose Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. However, a definition where anti-Zionism = anti-Semitism sets a dangerous precedent. I voted NO on this HRes894 because we cannot confuse criticism of the Israeli government and its extreme nationalist and xenophobic policies with anti-Semitism.
– Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (@repdeliaramirez) December 5, 2023
Republicans, meanwhile, have led motions that critics say are aimed at bringing the Democratic schism to the forefront. Last month, for example, they decided to censure Rep. Tlaib, the only Palestinian in the House, for her comments about the war in Gaza.
Conservatives have accused Democrats who vote against such measures of being anti-Israeli, or even anti-Semitic.
This creates a political dilemma for Democratic lawmakers. If they support the bills, they risk upsetting large swaths of their base, but if they oppose them, they open themselves to Republican attacks.
Taeb said the lawmakers who voted “present” did not want to officially equate anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism, but at the same time, they wanted to be seen as fighting anti-Semitism.
“It’s just politics,” she told Tel Aviv Tribune.
H.Res 894 exploits the pain of Jewish communities for political purposes.
Although he rightly denounces anti-Semitism, he equates all anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism – denying the great complexity of Jewish communities – all of which deserve to be protected.
And that’s why I voted present.
– Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (@RepDean) December 5, 2023
Tuesday’s resolution was co-sponsored by Congressman Max Miller, who has drawn outrage in recent weeks for saying, “We’re going to turn (Palestine) into a parking lot.”
Taeb said the fact that lawmakers who have promoted anti-Palestinian hatred are defending such resolutions shows that Tuesday’s measure is not aimed at combating prejudice.
“The intention of these members is to defame and silence peace activists who are calling for an end to the massacre of Palestinian children and families. »