r/JewsOfConscience • u/AutoModerator • Oct 16 '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.

Please remember to pick an appropriate user-flair in order to participate! Thanks!

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u/DO_MD Palestinian Oct 16 '24

I have a question! How do you guys feel about your own personal connection to the country of (or land of) Israel?

My girlfriend is American and Jewish raised Zionist but is slowly changing her mind and her ways but has this almost unbreakable connection to Israel. Even when I criticize Israel she still can’t help but shut down and has trouble criticizing them as well. I’m curious how you all deal with this connection to the land, and if there’s a feasible conversation to have with her that may help her see this as just a country? (If that’s even the right way to go about it)

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u/DurianVisual3167 Jewish Oct 16 '24

I think part of the issue is that most Jews (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrachi, ethnically Jewish) have ancestry in Palestine and its the last place many associate with not being oppressed or marginalized. So having a state there not only feels like going back from exile but also feels like the only life-line in world that frequently has periods of tolerance of Jews that ends in massive death and destruction. If the state isn't "Jewish" that means the non Jewish people might decide to not allow refuge to Jews when it's needed. But just because she feels like this doesn't mean Zionism is acceptable, being oppressed doesn't give you the right to do genocide or ethnic cleansing.

I find it helpful to remember that being against Zionism isn't a denial of you ethnicity or heritage or connection to the land (however far removed). It is being against creating an indigenous population by oppressing, displacing, and creating a government that excludes them over top of their homes. Jews have moved back to Levant for centuries, some Jews didn't even live outside of it for very long. But Zionism took that option from us, because now "moving back" becomes being a settler. Just another reason to hate the Zionist state.

(Sorry I'm typing this in my phone and so it's not the most coherent.)

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u/DO_MD Palestinian Oct 16 '24

Love this response! Thank you. Definitely an amazing new way to look at things. I appreciate it and your time to explain it