|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
(TJV) A recently established organization known as the “Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism” (ICSZ) seems unlikely to provide substantial insights into Zionism, but its formation is highlighting a perspective on the connection between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. The Algemeiner blog pointed out
The launching conference for ‘Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism’ takes place this coming October at UC Santa Cruz and New York University Law School.
The ICSZ has been initiated by a group of professors and activists who claim to be engaging in a “critical study” of Zionism. An examination of the founding members and their shared beliefs suggests a clear agenda: they advocate for principles they simultaneously deny to the global Jewish community.
One key set of principles, termed “Points of Unity,” asserts that Zionism is a form of settler colonialism with parallels to the United States, labeling Israel as a settler colonial state. The ICSZ expresses opposition to Zionism and colonialism while also rejecting an academic approach that is exclusive or limited in scope. Despite this, members of ICSZ have been involved in efforts to establish exclusivity.
Interestingly, the ICSZ envisions an inclusive “community of participation” for its work, yet its definition of inclusion seems to exclude Israelis and a significant portion of the world’s Jewish population, even though the focus of their studies is Zionism, a subject closely tied to the rights of these very individuals.
Notably, the ICSZ maintains affiliations with the “U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel” (USACBI), an organization dedicated to limiting Jewish participation in academia. USACBI is both a co-sponsor of the ICSZ’s upcoming conference and features multiple founding members of ICSZ.
One of these founding members is Rabab Abdulhadi, a professor at San Francisco State University who has made provocative statements regarding Zionists on campus. Abdulhadi is also involved with USACBI, and her actions led to legal action against her university for alleged discrimination against Jewish students.
Another ICSZ founder, C. Heike Schotten, is associated with USACBI as well. Additional founding members, such as Lisa Duggan and Christine Hong, are linked to USACBI through endorsements. Duggan notably led the American Studies Association in endorsing an academic boycott of Israel, while Sheryl Nestel signed a 2019 petition supporting the BDS movement and opposing a university exchange program with an Israeli institution.
A point of contention arises when examining the statements of ICSZ’s director, Emmaia Gelman. Gelman has endorsed petitions urging academic institutions to boycott Israeli academic entities, while also asserting that Palestinians should not be spoken for in academic contexts. Paradoxically, Gelman oversees an institute focused on the study of Zionism.
This raises questions about Gelman’s perspective, which seems to advocate for Palestinian self-representation but restricts Israeli voices, especially concerning Israel and Zionism. This paradoxical stance contradicts Gelman’s commitment to preventing one group from speaking on behalf of another, except in the case of Israelis and Zionists, who are predominantly Jewish.
Interestingly, the “Points of Unity” put forth by ICSZ include phrases that invoke classic antisemitic stereotypes. The institute pledges to investigate Zionism’s influence on matters of racism and violence, linking these issues to a Jewish cause. This approach raises concerns about the potential underlying bias within the institute’s research agenda.
In plain English: rabid, fanatical, irrational and deadly Jew hate is coming to NYU, this October
