[settrans]

Well, it depends on why you're protesting against Israel.

If you're supporting the dismantlement of the only Jewish state, like Hamas is, then you are in a precarious situation: why do you argue uniquely against Jewish self-determination?

Do you routinely protest in support of tear down all nations without prejudice, or just focus your antinationalism on the one liberal, democratic Jewish state? If so, why do you feel that only the Jews lack the right to defend themselves as a nation? Is it because you prefer to see the Jews defenseless against harassment and attempts at their genocide?

[anon84873628]

Parent comment had the word "reflexively".

The protests against Israel are by and large about their treatment of the Palestinians. I'm not close enough to know how many are really advocating for dismantling the state. I'm sure some people do believe Israel is "invalid" since it was created by imperial whim and displacement of the local Arabs. Of course if you take that stance then it's hard to justify the existence of many other nations, the US included. Israel just happens to be more recent and the world has different standards now.

But anyway, the answer to your question is majorly complicated by the fact that many of the most anti-Zionist people are... Orthodox Jews. They seem to have well articulated answers to your questions that can be found online.

[settrans]

If the protests about Israel were largely about their treatment of Palestinians, why did the world erupt in protest against Israel, largely in unison, mere hours after they were invaded by Hamas terrorists on October 7th?

On October 8th, 2023 in Times Square while the blood was still fresh on the ground from the massacres in Israel, protesters chanted "Long live the intifada" and "Smash the settler Zionist state". Visibly Jewish people were followed and had "Hamas should have killed more of you" shouted at them. All only hours after the invasion.

Harvard's Palestine Solidarity Committee (in)famously issued a memorandum right after the attack "hold[ing] the Israeli regime entirely responsible for allunfolding violence."

On October 9th at the Sydney Opera House, hundreds of protesters chanted "F** the Jews" (and allegedly "Gas the Jews").

In Grand Central on October 9th, protestors marched for the "resistance" (i.e. Hamas) and "right of return" (i.e. banishment of Jews from Israel).

All of this happened weeks before the ground invasion in Gaza began on October 27th. Two days later, dozens of travelers were injured as hundreds of protesters stormed a flight from Tel Aviv landing in Dagestan, Russia, as they sought to harrass "Jewish refugees" (i.e. Israelis). Of course, the global antisemitism only continued to climb, with 10,000 incidents recorded in the 11 months following 10/7.

Even this week, a pro-Hamas group organized a shutdown of Grand Central Terminal, while in the real Gaza, protests are sweeping the strip _against_ Hamas. If the mission is solidarity with Gazans, why not protest in favor of the issue that Gazans themselves are risking their lives to advocate for: the removal of Hamas?

[ars]

> many of the most anti-Zionist people are... Orthodox Jew

There's like 6 of them, and they are called Neturei Karta. The other several million Orthodox Jews do not share their views.

On top of that they are only against having a specifically Jewish government (they refuse to vote), but they do NOT agree with not allowing Jews to live in Israel.

[kevingadd]

There are many possible criticisms of Israel that don't have anything to do with Jewish self-determination, though... or is the idea that because it's the only Jewish state they get a free pass on all their conduct? I'm not following the logic.

[settrans]

There are many legitimate possible criticisms of the state of Israel, and protesting around those criticisms is a frequent occurrence within Israel.

But how many protests have you seen outside of Israel that were debating a narrow Israel domestic policy issue, versus calling into question the legitimacy of the "Zionist entity"?

[_DeadFred_]

There is no free pass only a viewing through the very real lense that “the Jews” has been replaced with “Israel” or “the Israeli lobby,” by racist groups.

[KingMob]

Pretty sure when the Crusaders showed up in the middle ages, the locals protested against Christians too.

Everything you've typed is an attempt to deflect criticism of Israel by exploiting Jewish sentiment, and it's frankly gross.