When half of the Wing Luke Museum’s workers defined why they went on strike on Might 22, they unwittingly expressed antisemitic concepts. They claimed that the brand new exhibit, “Confronting Hate Collectively,” specializing in the experiences of Asian, Black and Jewish communities in Seattle, makes use of “Zionist language” and “platform[s] colonial, white supremacist views.” These workers don’t perceive both the affect and character of racism towards Jews, they usually don’t perceive Zionism.
Right here’s a helpful historical past lesson: After the French Revolution in 1789, European international locations lastly began to give full citizenship to resident Jews. However inside a couple of a long time, antisemites explicitly differentiated Jews from “Aryans,” that means the white race. No matter their non secular habits, all Jews’ citizenship rights started to disintegrate as their governments betrayed them. Jews weren’t perpetrators of white nationalism; they had been its victims. In the end, virtually all of Europe cooperated with Nazis to wipe out a 3rd of all of the Jews on Earth.
As a result of they couldn’t belief their dwelling international locations any longer, Zionism — Jewish self-determination — turned a compelling thought to many within the 20th century. Immediately, the largest ethnic group in Israel is Mizrahi Jews, with origins in Asia, Africa, the Center East and the Iberian peninsula. Most are folks of coloration. For a wide range of causes, their ancestors’ dwelling international locations had been hostile to them and, for a lot of, Israel was the one place that will settle for them as residents.
The hanging workers fault the exhibit for condemning transparently antisemitic acts. For instance, the exhibit criticizes anti-Zionists who defaced a Mercer Island synagogue with graffiti, and anti-Zionist highschool college students who harassed their Jewish friends. These occasions warrant investigation as hate crimes. The exhibit additionally notes that the phrase “from the river to the ocean” is mostly “outlined because the erasure of Israel.” As a result of about half of the world’s 16 million Jews are Israeli, there’s simply no getting round it: calling for the erasure of Israel is asking for the erasure of Jews. For properly over a century, Jews have argued amongst themselves about Zionist ideology, however to be categorically hostile towards Jewish Zionists — who’re folks — is antisemitism.
The strikers additionally present no real interest in or regard for what Israel means to a majority of Jewish Individuals. According to Pew Research, about 80% of American Jews say Israel is vital to their identification. The strikers try and divorce anti-Zionism from antisemitism, and thus profess to grasp antisemitism higher than Jews do themselves. This type of assertion can be thought of an insult to some other minority.
One of many exhibit’s most vital contributions is its expression of a easy fact that the strikers want to deny: Israel is a bona fide nation among the many nations of the world. This reality is untenable to anti-Zionists as a result of denying facts about Israel, in addition to the actual fact of Israel, is considered one of their important methods. Their curiosity in Israel as a rustic is in brief provide. Certainly, the very phrase “Israel,” which they keep away from utilizing on their Instagram posts, would be the “Zionist language” that the majority offends them.
Israel’s critics can be more practical in the event that they embrace actuality. They need to concede that Israel is an actual nation, that Israelis are residents of that nation (82% of them, together with Arab and Druze residents, declare patriotic emotions towards Israel), and that Jews get to outline what counts as prejudice towards them. Greater than three-quarters of Israelis are Jews of all ages and genders with a variety of ethnic backgrounds. They’re simply folks. For them, “Israel” means dwelling. The strike demonstrates the acute want for the museum’s workers to revisit the exhibit with some humility. Then perhaps they’ll study from it and host a public keen to hitch them.
Editor’s be aware: The Seattle Occasions sometimes closes feedback on tales. To answer this op-ed, please submit a Letter to the Editor of not more than 200 phrases to be thought of for publication in our Opinion part. Ship to: letters@seattletimes.com
