Guest Post: "I'm a Good Jew" by Emma Sackheim
A thoughtful, compassionate, and beautifully written explanation
Emma posted this in our Bund chat and I loved it so much. Speaks to many things that have been on a lot of our minds these days. Very happy to repost it here.
—DJO
I received the above message after the publication of an AP article where I was quoted stating that I grew up a supporter of the Jewish state but now consider myself an opponent of Zionism. I wrote the message below in response…
Shalom and thank you for your message.
Discussing these intricate and often misunderstood topics with a sense of shared heritage and respect is essential. Let me clarify my stance and the journey that has led me here, deeply rooted in my Jewish identity and historical understanding.
I am profoundly aware of the significance of my lineage, living by the wisdom and bravery of my 11th great-grandfather Rabbi Yisrael the Martyr of Ruzhany. I am deeply connected to the values of my lineage, as I am proud to be of the holy seeds. My beliefs are indeed in line with the values of my ancestors, not despite but because of my stance on Israel and Palestine.
My perspective is the result of over a decade of research and introspection. I remember first learning about the Israeli government’s illegal occupation (under the Geneva Conventions) of the West Bank. It is essential to highlight that the West Bank is not governed by Hamas but by the Palestinian Authority, which Fatah runs in collaboration with the Israeli government. Nevertheless, I found myself continuing to embrace what I was told my entire life—that Judaism is Israel and Israel is Judaism. With time and education, I understood that Judaism thrived for thousands of years before the advent of political Zionism in 1897, highlighting that our culture, adaptation, resilience, and survival transcend any political project.
My understanding deepened with the knowledge of the Nakba in 1948, a catastrophic event for Palestinians, marking their mass displacement during the Arab-Israeli war. This period was a stark contrast to the previously multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Palestine. The conflict between Arabs and Jews intensified in the 1930s, driven by increased Jewish immigration due to persecution in Europe and the Zionist movement’s aim to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. The escalation of this conflict and the push for a Jewish state led to significant suffering and displacement of Palestinians. The Nakba resulted in an estimated 750,000 Palestinians fleeing or being expelled, comprising around 80% of the Palestinian Arab inhabitants of what became Israel. Growing up, I had been taught that what is now the state of Israel was ‘a land without a people for a people without a land.’ However, this was not the case. I encourage you to research the Nakba of 1948, which coincides with the day the Israeli government celebrates its independence day.
Opposition to Zionism has existed as long as Zionism itself. This includes various Jewish groups and intellectuals who have viewed Zionism through a critical lens. While today, the majority of Jewish people and communities worldwide still have a Zionist connection, more and more Jewish people, especially from the younger generation, are unlearning Zionism and speaking out.
The Bund, formally known as the General Jewish Workers’ Union in Lithuania, Poland, and Russia, was a Jewish socialist party established in Russia in 1897. It championed Yiddish, autonomism, and secular Jewish nationalism, envisioning Jewish existence primarily in Eastern Europe. The Bund was sharply opposed to Zionism, viewing it as promoting a singular Jewish national identity. Following mass immigration to the United States in the early 20th century, Jewish Labor groups there, influenced by Bundist ideas, critiqued Zionism for its perceived colonial, nationalist, and bourgeois characteristics.
In the aftermath of World War II, a group of Iraqi Jews established the Anti-Zionist League specifically to challenge the rising tide of Zionism. They perceived Zionism as a form of colonialism intertwined with Western interests, distinct from traditional Jewish beliefs. Through events and publications across the Middle East, they emphasized the difference between Zionism and Judaism. The League highlighted the potential harm Zionism posed to Arab Jews, warning that it could force them to divide their Arab and Jewish identities, and urged the United Nations for the creation of a unified Palestinian state.
Before 1948, several prominent Jewish leaders and scholars, such as Hannah Arendt and Albert Einstein, opposed political Zionism. The day after the Deir Yassin Massacre in 1948, when Zionist militants wiped out the Deir Yassin village and its inhabitants, Albert Einstein wrote:
“Dear Sir:
When a real and final catastrophe should befall us in Palestine the first responsible for it would be the British and the second responsible for it the Terrorist organizations built up from our own ranks.
I am not willing to see anybody associated with those misled and criminal people.”
Jewish anti-Zionism is not monolithic but encompasses various motivations, from maintaining our diasporic traditions to supporting Palestinian self-determination. This diversity of thought within our community highlights that support for Palestinian rights and criticism of Israeli policies does not equate to anti-Semitism or a betrayal of Jewish values.
It’s also important to recognize that a significant portion of Zionist support comes from Christian evangelicals, driven by theological beliefs rather than a connection to Jewish heritage. This dynamic adds another layer to the region’s complex interplay of politics and religion. Interestingly, the largest population of Zionists are evangelicals whose support for Israel is rooted in the belief that it is vital for fulfilling the end-times prophecy. While exact numbers are difficult to determine, it’s estimated that there are tens of millions of Christian Zionists, mainly due to the sizable evangelical Christian population, which is a significant supporter of Christian Zionist beliefs. In contrast, the global Jewish population is estimated to be around 16 million. Thus, the number of Christian Zionists exceeds the total Jewish population worldwide.
Now, let me be clear. I unequivocally condemn any form of terrorism or violence, whether by Hamas or other groups. However, I also criticize the policies of the Israeli government that have contributed to the ongoing conflict and suffering. It’s crucial to acknowledge the role of various actors, including past Israeli support for Hamas as a counterweight to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in shaping the current situation. According to Avner Cohen, a former Israeli religious affairs official, “Hamas, to my great regret, is Israel’s creation.” In discussions involving Israel’s interactions with Hamas, it is often noted that despite Israel’s frequent portrayal of Hamas as a significant security threat necessitating robust military responses, there have been instances where Israeli leadership has posited that strategically supporting Hamas could be beneficial to Israel’s interests. This perspective is grounded in the belief that such support could perpetuate divisions within the Palestinian community. David K. Shipler, a former Jerusalem bureau chief for The New York Times, has documented that during the early 1980s, Israel provided financial backing to members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who later established Hamas. This move was ostensibly aimed at countering the influence of the PLO, which was then perceived as a formidable threat by Israel. This approach has persisted up to recent times. As reported by Haaretz, during a Likud party meeting in the Knesset in March 2019, Netanyahu stated, “anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas. This is part of our strategy—to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank.”
In the discourse surrounding Hamas’s attacks on Israel, it is often suggested that these actions stem predominantly from anti-Jewish sentiment. However, this viewpoint is challenged by certain scholars who believe that attributing Hamas’s aggression solely to anti-semitism is an oversimplification. Omer Bar-Tov, a Holocaust and genocide studies professor at Brown University raises pertinent questions about the underlying motivations of Hamas’s military actions. He queries whether these actions are driven purely by a desire to harm Jews or if they are a reaction to specific Israeli policies, notably citing Israel’s long-standing blockade of Gaza as a primary catalyst.
The discussion often references Hamas’s original 1988 charter, notorious for conflating Judaism with Zionism and using antisemitic rhetoric, including endorsing “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” and portraying violence against Jews as a religious obligation. Although not formally renouncing this charter, possibly to avoid the appearance of conceding, Hamas introduced a new political document in 2017. This document seeks to clarify that its conflict is against Zionism, not Judaism as a religion. It recognizes the phenomena of anti-Semitism and Jewish persecution, explicitly associating them with European history, not Arab or Muslim heritage. While the 1988 charter advocates for Jihad against Jews, the 2017 document distinguishes between opposition to Zionism and hostility towards Jews and further extends its denunciation to persecution based on nationalist, religious, or sectarian grounds. This nuance is frequently overlooked in discussions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
However, regarding my knowledge of my faith and identity, I encourage you to connect with the diversity of the Jewish community, as there are many anti-Zionist Jews who believe that such beliefs are intertwined with their faith and identity. I have learned from leaders within the Jewish community that in our faith, there are teachings, such as those in the Talmud (Meseches Kesuvos, 111a), that some interpret as opposing the forceful establishment of a Jewish state. These interpretations further illustrate the diversity of thought within our community.
In regards to some often erased historical context that adds another dimension to understanding Zionism and its impact on the region, I encourage you to look into the British politician Arthur Balfour, the man behind the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which supported a “home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. Balfour was a well-known anti-Semite behind a law known as the 1905 Aliens Act that mainly aimed to restrict Jewish immigration to Britain from Eastern Europe.
Additionally, suppose you are not aware of the coexistence between Jews and Arabs in the holy land under the Ottoman Empire and before the mandate era. In that case, I encourage you to consider reading Lives in Common: Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Hebron by Professor Menachem Klein. The book addresses the conflict that grew following the First Aliyah, challenges the narrative of an inherent conflict, and highlights the overlooked aspects of Sephardic and Mizrahi experiences.
Moreover, it’s crucial to acknowledge the internal challenges within Israel that often go unnoticed in international debates. For instance, a distressing reality is that one-third of Israeli Holocaust survivors live in poverty. This highlights the socio-economic disparities and the need for more comprehensive policies to support vulnerable communities within Israel. Such realities compel us to look beyond political rhetoric and consider the human cost within these complex situations.
I want to stress the importance of staying informed through reliable news outlets. Renowned sources such as AP, Reuters, The Guardian, Jewish Currents, and 972mag offer insightful perspectives and factual reporting. Take, for instance, The Guardian’s coverage: they reported that, based on informed sources, PM Netanyahu declined an offer for a five-day ceasefire in Gaza, which would have included the release of hostages held in the territory early in the conflict. Such reports underscore the complexity of these issues and the value of accessing diverse, credible news to form a well-rounded understanding.
In conclusion, my extensive research has led me to a firm belief: the State of Israel’s actions as an occupier, perpetuating violence against the occupied, diminish the safety of Diaspora Jews worldwide. The dangerous conflation of Israel’s actions with Jewish faith and identity cannot be overlooked. A profound adherence to Jewish values, historical insight, and a yearning for peace and justice throughout the region shapes my stance. This exploration reflects my effort to reconcile my heritage with the intricacies of contemporary geopolitics, aiming for a future where the rights and dignities of all are upheld.
In the spirit of the timeless wisdom imparted in the Talmud, “Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9; Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 37a). I am committed to upholding these values in all my endeavors. With unwavering pride in my Jewish identity and faith, I will continue to strive towards a world where every life is cherished, and every soul is valued. May we all be inspired to bring more understanding, peace, and justice into our world.
Please understand that while I am open to sharing sources and further readings upon request, I intend this message to comprehensively express my views rather than the beginning of an extended dialogue. I hope that this information serves as a resource for reflection and understanding.
Shalom and blessings,
Emma Sackheim
LINKS:
Guante’s resource for artists who want to speak out on Palestine but aren’t sure how: https://racketmn.com/for-artists-and-musicians-who-want-to-speak-out-about-palestine-but-arent-sure-how
A moving open letter from Jewish students at Brown: https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/11/an-open-letter-from-jewish-students
Writers Against the War on Gaza:
https://www.writersagainstthewarongaza.com/
And more links from
SupportPalestine Action:
https://www.palestineaction.org
Dissenters against the War Machine:
https://wearedissenters.org
Apply pressure for a ceasefire now:
https://ceasefiretoday.com/
Take action with Jewish Voice for Peace:
https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Take action with the Palestinian Youth Movement:
https://palestinianyouthmovement.com/
Take action with IfNotNow:
https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/
Support Boycots, Divestmest, and Sanctions:
https://bdsmovement.net/