Heres part of something im writing about Israel:
Critiques of the 'zionist lobby' which present it as a force hostile to the American or British 'national interest' are often little more than conspiracy theories. I personally witnessed anti-semitic slogans being chanted on one demo during Operation Cast Lead. On another demo I saw a group dressed in black, holding black flags and chanting 'Allah Akbar'. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign does not push an ideological line on its members and does not exert much central control on local branches. This means that those with antisemitic ideas are able to join and in some cases gain positions on branch committees. The difficulty in policing demonstrations, and the role of organisations such as the Stop the War Coalition of courting hardline Islamists and labelling criticism of them as islamophobic, has meant that antisemites have often found the pro-Palestinian movement a 'safe space'.
As the economic crisis has worsened, antisemitic sentiment has increased in wider society and is more openly expressed. This has coincided with an increasing public awareness of Israeli atrocities, criticism of foreign policy and the growth of the BDS campaign. Support for BDS or a one state solution where Israelis and Palestinians share power does not make a person antisemitic. The presence of antisemites in anti-Israeli organisations is not a justification for Israeli state policy. This argument is akin to saying that since islamophobes have joined pro-Kurdish organisations, any criticism of ISIS is islamophobic. But the growth of antisemitism creates an environment where young Jews can find anti-Israel sentiments and campaigns extremely threatening. The far right usually use the word 'zionist' when talking about Jews, in order to lend their views respectability and pretend they are talking about Israel. Inability to recognise antisemitic discourse ('zionists' controlling the banks and media), unwillingness to believe accusations and political opportunism and cowardice have led to anti-Jewish sentiment becoming tolerated in certain parts of the left and the pro-Palestinian movement.
This in turn has enabled the Israeli state and allied institutions to spread their own hate and paranoia far more effectively. When an antisemitic incident takes place, such as the recent terrorist attack in a Paris supermarket, or statistics showing an increase in antisemitism are released, Israeli leaders and propagandists rarely miss an opportunity to announce that Europe is no longer safe for Jews and that Jews no longer belong there. Mainstream Diaspora Jewish organisations do not challenge Israeli state policy or the idea that BDS and similar campaigns are antisemitic in any meaningful way. Limmud, which holds a conference which promotes Jewish culture and encourages young people to learn about their faith, gives a platform to religious settlers while forbidding presentations by speakers who support BDS. Even liberal synagogues promote organisations such as Birthright, which provide free trips to Israel for Jews between the ages of 18 and 27. These trips aim to provide young people with a sugarcoated view of Israel. They foster a connection with the land and a sense of Jewish heritage while pushing the Israeli government's version of events. People are encouraged to think about 'making aliyah' - ie to move there. Last year the Movement for Reform Judaism arranged for a Reform-only Birthright tour bus around Israel.
The tourist industry is a major weapon in Israel's strategy to maintain support among diaspora Jews. All tour guides must complete a two-year course with the Israeli government with a heavy focus on zionist ideology. Tourist attractions are designed to create a connection with the land of Israel and the Jewish people, while retelling, for example, biblical stories of heroic battles as though they reflect the current situation of Israel. In the City of David in East Jerusalem, walkways and footpaths are positioned in such a way that tourists do not even get to see any Palestinians, who are presented merely as a vaguely threatening presence; tourists are encouraged not to interact with them in any way. The Israeli state and quasi-official institutions such as the Jewish National Fund, which presents villages destroyed in the Nakba of 1948 as ancient biblical ruins, exploit the idealism and religious identity of Jews in an insidious way. The Jewish kingdoms of the mythical past are portrayed as being revived in modern day Israel, and modern day Israel is depicted as having to face the "threats" of thousands of years ago. Archaeological digs are used to confirm the "truth" of biblical stories and at the same time to destroy evidence of a long-established Palestinian presence, legitimising the current situation of the Palestinians.
In many synagogues a prayer for the IDF is recited in Saturday morning services. Even the Reform movement in this country has added verses celebrating the IDF and the 'pioneers' of early zionism to parts of its liturgy, for example during the Selichot services leading up to Rosh Hashanah. Religious education for young children and teenagers is politicised and again here, the lessons of thousands of years ago are said to apply to the Israel of today. Most Jewish denominations have their own youth movements such as RSY Netzer which hold summer camps and tours around Israel, and often subsidise people who otherwise cannot go. Jews are thus pushed into identification with the zionist state and feel reluctant to criticise it. Those who criticise settlements and the bombing and siege of Gaza, which has left its people largely unable to rebuild their homes after last summer, are said to be 'calling for the murder of Jews' because these policies prevent Hamas from firing their flimsy homemade rockets into Israel. Zionists also provoke the religious prohibition against publically criticising another Jew. Little in Jewish religious tradition supports using a trapped population, where over half are under 16, as a weapons testing ground, or allowing settlers to annex land simply because they say it is given to them by God.
This polarisation makes it easier for far-right nationalists and propagandists to depict opposition to Israel as antisemitic; so many practicing Jews have such a deep connection with the country. It becomes harder to be openly anti-zionist within the Jewish community. People who oppose Israeli actions often drop out and are unable to participate in communal life. Those who do join groups such as Jews for Justice for Palestinians frequently have little or no connection with the Jewish community. One rabbi who criticised Israel during last year's attack on Gaza had his house attacked on repeated occasions, as well as an attempt to blow up his car. This creates a polarisation within the community and more importantly, between Jews and non-Jews. However, while most Jews may not feel comfortable with BDS or even criticising Israel, many do not want to support it either.
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