r/JewsOfConscience • u/AutoModerator • Jul 10 '24

AAJ "Ask A Jew" Wednesday

It's everyone's favorite day of the week, "Ask A (Anti-Zionist) Jew" Wednesday! Ask whatever you want to know, within the sub rules, notably that this is not a debate sub and do not import drama from other subreddits. That aside, have fun! We love to dialogue with our non-Jewish siblings.

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u/Horsepenny Jul 10 '24

Palestinian American here. I was wondering about the Jewish perspective on calling a Zionist a Nazi. The Zionists around me are mostly Christian, but I have also used this insult with Jewish Zionists, and something made me pause. I realized that (even though I give no shit what a Zionist feels), a nonZionist Jewish person might be party to that conversation (either online or by onlookers), and it may cause harm.

I only want to hurt the feelings of a Zionist, not the innocent people around me.

So, what is your opinion on the use of Nazi to describe Zionists?

(Another note - this is not how I start conversations. It is always in response to their insults. I usually get terrorist or other Islamophobic bullshit.)

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u/[deleted] Jul 11 '24

If they are being insulting or hateful and bigoted, and you have no intention to have a relationship with them, sure I would have no issue if you called them a Nazi. I use the term “yudonatzim” (Jewish Nazis) all the time when I get upset with hateful Zionists. I don’t give a damn about the feelings of racists and fascists.

But I would never use that term to describe Zionists outside of that situation. Lots of us here were once Zionists. We weren’t Nazis, the values we hold now are the same values we held as Zionists. But we simply lacked the education and knowledge to understand that Zionism is not aligned with our values

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u/Horsepenny Jul 11 '24

That is a very good distinction. I use it as a reaction, not an introduction. I'm not out here finding random people and screaming at them. I actually like people. But when I get called names or harassed for existing, I find it hard to mind my words. I usually word vomit until they leave me alone or throw the first punch.

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u/[deleted] Jul 12 '24

I mean some of the things they say makes me feel like my skin is on fire. So I can only imagine how it would make you feel as a Palestinian