Spec editorial by Roi Ankori-Karlinsky, GSAS '24

"Anti-Zionism versus Antisemitism: A Primer"

The Spectator today published a terrific editorial by recent graduate Roi Ankori-Karlinsky trying to think through the difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. It’s worth reading in full, but here are some highlights.

Let me say to the Jewish students who are afraid on this campus: I hear you. I see your pain. Unfortunately, I know it firsthand. I grew up in Jerusalem during the Second Intifada. My childhood included bus frames melted in asphalt. People screaming is one of the first sounds I remember. On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants murdered my friends and family in their homes. My uncles narrowly avoided the slaughter. Seeing some of my Columbia colleagues “justify” it was painful.

But protecting free speech—even hate speech—is essential in any society worth its salt. The “pro-Israel” advocates trying to ban protests have only exacerbated the situation. This was predictable: Squashing dissent only leads to escalation. The unlawful arrests of Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi perfectly encapsulate this hypocrisy. The fact some on this campus justified arresting students without charges is atrocious: People fly Confederate flags and openly wear swastikas every week without legal ramifications.

And:

I would like to say to the students who have been protesting against Israel: I hear you. I know some students here have lost family in Gaza to the AI-directed Israel Defense Forces bombs. Seeing your own teachers “justify” it is beyond painful. I am an Israeli citizen, but there is no defending my government’s destruction of Gaza, the military apartheid in the West Bank. or the Nakba before. Contrary to what many on this campus claim (on both “sides”), this is a common opinion among Israelis, including among survivors of the October 7 massacre and released hostages. Israelis are not a monolith: Around 45 percent of us risk prison to refuse mandatory conscription.

And:

Instead of using phrases like “Zionist,” “pro-Israel,” or that “Israel has a right to exist,” people could use more legible language like “Jews should have a right to live” or “Jews shouldn’t be second-class citizens.” And if by “Zionist” you mean that Palestinians don’t deserve a life, or that Judaism can be replaced by militarized borders, then it is in fact racism you’re defending.

The same goes for people who “define” themselves as “anti-Zionist.” Why not avoid shallow identifiers and criticize specific actions of Israel—as most Palestinians do? And if by “anti-Zionist” you mean that killing or expelling 7.2 million Jews is “legitimate” because of where they were born, then be honest that human rights are not your goal.

Read the whole thing here.