{"id":8142,"date":"2023-09-22T16:09:14","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T04:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/israelinstitute.nz\/?p=8142"},"modified":"2023-11-23T14:13:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T01:13:22","slug":"demonizing-zionism-and-sanitizing-hatred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/israelinstitute.nz\/2023\/09\/demonizing-zionism-and-sanitizing-hatred\/","title":{"rendered":"Editorial: Demonizing Zionism and Sanitizing Hatred"},"content":{"rendered":"
The advent of the IHRA definition of antisemitism<\/a> was correctly seen as a significant breakthrough by many of those engaged in responding to anti-Israel sentiment. Its rather awkward wording was adequately compensated by the useful examples by which it was accompanied. Specifically, it successfully cut the ground from beneath the feet of those who insist that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Somewhat predictably, there was soon pushback from anti-Israel activists. That pushback has reached a new and critical level with the establishment of the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism.<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span>Progressive leftist academics will gather for an inaugural conference entitled \u201cBattling the \u2018IHRA Definition\u2019: Theory and Activism.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One commentator astutely observes<\/a> that while ICSZ castes Zionism as a \u201cpolitical ideology tightly enmeshed with racism, fascism, and colonial dispossession\u201d, in fact, \u201cthis deeply contrived view of Zionism bears no relationship to how the founders of Zionism framed their beliefs, nor how Jews have historically perceived and experienced Zionism.\u201d<\/p>\n Responding to a particularly egregious example of anti-Zionism in NZ\u2019s mainstream media, a recent Jerusalem Post article<\/a> exposed the folly of applying a post-colonialist lens to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It further demonstrated that the experience and historical context of M\u0101ori is entirely unlike<\/i> that of the Palestinians.<\/p>\n Veteran journalist Jonathan Spyer last month made comments at Oxford<\/a> on the current political turmoil in Israel, articulating his desire to see the judicial reforms halted, despite his sympathy for some of the goals of the reforms themselves.<\/p>\n