From the River to the Sea:
Differentiating Anti-Semitism, Anti-Zionism & Anti-Occupation

By Ofer Zur, Ph.D.

Psychologist – Ethicist - Psychology of Enmity Expert

Former IDF Israeli lieutenant and paratrooper

www.drzur.com  -  droferzur@drzur.com

 

Dr. Zur is a former lieutenant and paratrooper in the Israeli army who served in Gaza, was wounded in the 1973 war and left Israel for moral reasons. Professionally, he is a psychologist, ethicist and psychology of war scholar. In this article he reflects on the current conflict in the Middle East, Israel, Iran and US; specifically on its potential to ignite world-wide antisemitism, and the future of the state of Israel.

Addressing what is happening in Gaza, Lebanon, West Bank and Israel as well as the roles that the US and Iran are playing in the Middle East Conflict and understanding antisemitism requires thorough general education and political and interfaith understanding. 

It is important to differentiate between anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, and anti-Occupation. Clearly distinguishing between these 3 can help us navigate the complexities and establish informed civil discourse, work toward balanced solutions and ultimately, peace. It is equally important to understand the different meanings and history of the statement, “From the River to the Sea …”.

Anti-Semitism

Antisemitism is hostility, prejudice, hatred and/or discrimination against Jews, as history has demonstrated during the European pogroms and the Holocaust. It manifests through society and human behavior in various forms, including negative stereotypes, unequal treatment, discrimination, hatred and acts of violence against Jewish individuals, literature and institutions. Holocaust denial and minimization further perpetuates this prejudice. There is a deep-rooted history of antisemitism that has led to severe persecution and genocide of Jews throughout history.

Clarifying notes: Beyond religion, Jewishness is also a culture, peoplehood, ethnic Identity and shared history.  According to Jewish law (halakha), all those born of a Jewish mother are considered Jewish, regardless of personal beliefs or level of observance of Jewish law.

Anti-Zionism = Anti the Jewish State = Anti the State of Israel

Anti-Zionism is the opposition to Zionism or opposition to the existence of a Jewish state, i.e., Israel, originating not as a religious word but a movement supporting the establishment and maintenance of a Jewish state in the territory defined as the historic Land of Israel. Paradoxically, Anti-Zionism is rooted in the recognition of Zionism as Racism. It is important to understand that not all Jews are Zionists, and often there are differing political views regarding Israel among Zionists and Non-Zionists (see book Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism). It is important to note that one does not need to be a Jew to be a Zionist. A Zionist is someone who believes in and supports Israel as a Jewish-national state. Zionism began in the late 19th century as a national liberation movement for Jews seeking to create a homeland free from discrimination and persecution. Some anti-Zionists argue politically, opposing the establishment of the state of Israel due to its impact on Palestinians, advocating the rights and return of Arab-Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 War of Independence. Others may oppose Zionism religiously, as certain ultra-Orthodox Jews who believe the establishment of a Jewish state must await the coming of the Messiah.

Since October 7, 2023 the vitriolic combination of antisemitism and anti-Zionism is the hybrid form of what has been called, by some, ‘the new antisemitism.’ It's important to distinguish between legitimate political criticism of Israel and of Zionism. Students on campuses in the US and others engaged in these demonstrations are either overtly or ignorantly using antisemitic rhetoric in the guise of pro-Palestinian nationalism. Racist Zionism is a term used by ‘Jews for Justice for Palestinians’; a network of Jews practicing and secular, Zionist and not, who oppose Israeli policies of the Palestinian people in Israel/Palestine.

In recent times, since Oct. 7, 2023, the important and meaningful distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism has, regretfully, pretty much faded away.

The Jewish anti-Zionist position is rather simple: the Jews are a religious or ethnic group, while states should be multi-cultural political entities equally representing all of their citizens. Like many other scholars, Peter Beinart, reasonably argues that some anti-Zionists go farther, claiming that the Jews are better off when they live scattered among the different nations. Concentrating all the Jews in one state of Israel, they argue, especially a state in conflict with a Palestinian national movement, undermines the accumulated experience of generations of exile where Jews learned to empathize with the weak and powerless. By acquiring power, they argue, Jews are alienated from the political ethic that developed within the Jewish tradition that inspired devotion to social justice.

“From the River to the Sea . . .” – 3 Views

It is important to understand the meaning, evolution and history of the statement, “From the River to the Sea …”.  There are 3 ways or view points that use the term “From the River to the Sea …”.

  1. Since Oct. 7th, 2023 the slogan of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”has been popularized by demonstrations on university campus’ all over the world to rally against Israel’s massacre of Gazans. It is also a slogan claimed by Palestinians and Hamas and on US campuses and worldwide, and is clearly an Anti-Zionist slogan suggesting the dismantling of the State of Israel as it refers to the entire geographical space between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, historically known as Palestine, which today includes Israel and the occupied territories of West-Bank and Gaza. The irony (pathetic) or sad part of it, as several inquiries revealed, is that many if not most of the demonstrators on US campuses do not know where Israel or ‘the river’ are on the map, or which ‘sea’ is being referred to.
  2. In October 2024 there was a ‘gathering - party’ by far-right religious Jews just outside Gaza which was supposedly attended by the two far-right racist religious ministers: Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security and Smotrich, the Minister of Finance. Interestingly, the theme of the gathering was “From the river to the sea, Israel will be free”,which clearly means that Israel and the Jewish settlements will control and inhabit the entire West Bank, which will become integrated part of the Jewish state of Israel.  This gathering went even further and advocated to re-establish Jewish settlements in Gaza combined with inevitably expelling the remaining of ‘live’ Gaza Palestinians from Gaza to ….?
  3. An interesting recent exposure revealed that some early historical Zionist slogan envisioned Israeli statehood extending over the two (2!) banks of the Jordan river, and when that vision proved ‘impractical’, it was substituted by the idea of a Greater Israel, an entity conceived as extending from the Jordan to the sea.

Anti-Occupation

Anti-Occupation, stands for: Stop the military occupation of the West Bank and control of Gaza and give Palestine the state they deserve. After the war of 1967 when Jordan didn’t ‘want’ West Bank and Egypt was equally happy to let go of Gaza, Israel has since occupied the West Bank and occupied and controlled (or attempt to control) Gaza.

From justice, humane and international law perspectives, the occupation needs to stop, and Palestinians should have their own statewhich may include a port in Gaza and international airports in the West Bank and Gaza. Ideally Gaza and the West Bank will be connected via a secured bridge or secured tunnel. Obviously, occupation cannot last and, predictably, leads to resistance, destruction and violence.

There are, currently over 600,000 mainly religious Jewish settlers in the West Bank occupying, controlling and continuously expending into Palestinian land. They should either leave, like the settlers in the Sinai and Gaza, who were forced to leave back in 1982 did, or to obediently submit to live under Palestinian rule.

Frightening Sequence in the aftermath of Oct. 7, 2024

The paradox of the Oct. 7th, 2023 tragic event is that it significantly increased antisemitism on campuses, and protests against Israel in the US and in the world. Sadly, it may be the end of Israel.

The potential terrifying process/sequence - A quick historical reflection:

  1. Establish a state of Israel 1948 and creation of huge Palestinian refugee communities mainly housed in miserable conditions in the West-Bank, Jordan, Gaza, and Lebanon.
  2. Occupation of Gaza by Israel and West-Bank after the 1967 war.
  3. Massacre/killing of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.
  4. Death toll and US and Iran military support:
  5. IDF Killing of about 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza (by Oct. 2024) as a response to Oct. 7 attack.
  6. Hamas in Gaza and Hizballah in Lebanon get huge military support form Iran
  7. These killings of Palestinians and Hamas fighters in Gaza and Lebanese and Hizballah fighters in Lebanon are done with the immense-essential help of US.
  8. Military Industrial Complex (US tax-dollars), which gave Israel over 50,000 tons of arms and military equipment to Israel in 1 year since Oct. 7, 2023 at the cost of over $20 billion.
  9. World-wide protests against the mass killing of many thousands of Palestinian children and women.
  10. World-wide grouping/confusing/equating anti-occupation with anti-Zionism and antisemitism ("From the river to the sea...")
  11. Two future possibilities
  12. Israel gives the Palestinians their own sovereign state, connect Gaza and West Bank via a bridge or a tunnel, get the messianic settlers out of the West Bank. If they bomb Israel, Israel bombs back, until, hopefully, acceptance and peace arrive.
  13. Sad - frightening: Will it be the end of Israel (for the 3rd time)

In Conclusion:

People, on US campuses and worldwide, confuse Anti-Israeli-Occupation in Gaza and the West Bank with Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism. In fact, Anti-Occupation is used as an excuse for Anti-Semitism. Anti-Zionism in its current form in Europe and on the Left in the US is riddled with Anti-Semitism.

Additional online resources by Dr. Zur on the topics of Israel, Gaza, military experience and moral junctions: · 

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