r/JewsOfConscience • u/PattonSmithWood • 3d ago
Discussion - Flaired Users Only Feel completely disconnected
How do fellow, non-religious, anti Zionist Jews in this sub reconcile their anti Zionist views with their Jewish identity when 80/90% of contemporary Jews across the world are staunch Zionists.
I feel at a complete loss in terms of my identity. Extended family and relatives are 90% Zionists, they take literal pleasure in any and all harm to Palestinians. They are gleeful and boastful of the current genocide (and they proudly label it as such). They marginalise, shut down, bad mouth any relative who believes in Palestinian dignity, self determination and sovereignty. They call us self hating Jews and turncoats.
My values and some close family are completely, polar, opposite. We are more in harmony with the views of some prominent Jewish scholars and identities such as Norman Finkelstein, Gabor Mate, Miko Peled, Noam Chomsky, Avi Shlaim, Gideon Levy etc
I'm proud to be a Jew with faith in universal values of humanity. Although I am not an observant Jew, and am pretty much secular and atheist, I find myself increasingly aligning with some teachings of Torah Jews, specially their teachings about diaspora being essential to Judaism and spiritual Israel only being reinstated by the mashiach and not a group of atheists.
I know this is a bit of a rant, but I feel so out of place amidst contemporary Jews.
Would love to hear any experiences navigating this identity crisis.
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u/Artistic_Reference_5 Jewish 3d ago
It depends where you live.
There are many groups of ant-Zionist and non-Zionist Jews and even anti-Zionist Israelis advocating for an end to the genocide. These groups often not only take political actions but socialize together.
I have local groups around me and other groups online. I have met amazing people there.
I will say I'm used to not fitting in to mainstream spaces including my family of origin for lots of other reasons, so if that's not your experience it seems understandable that it would feel more difficult!