For decades, Joe Biden has proudly declared that he is a Zionist, and he has repeated that claim since Hamas’s 7 October attacks on Israel. But for the student anti-war protests gripping the US, the words “Zionist” and “Zionism” have become a watchword – pejorative and emblematic of the violent state policies driving the war on Gaza.
On social media and in the streets, critics no longer call out supporters of the state of Israel as “pro-Israel”: they call them Zionist. Some university encampments have posted signs saying: “Zionists not allowed.”
Student protesters say that their criticisms of Zionism are rooted in the state of Israel’s displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Pro-Israel activists have responded by defending the term. “If the last six months on campus have taught us anything, it is that a large and vocal population of the Columbia community does not understand the meaning of Zionism,” a group of more than 500 Columbia University students recently wrote. “We are proud to be Zionists.”
Which means by international law, that armed resistance to drive them from the land they stole is legal. There can be no peace without justice and justice means to give back all stolen land or make a fair agreement to buy it from the original owners.
Also many of the Zionists came to Palestine within our lifetime. And we are talking about moving at best maybe 4 Million people as opposed to the 300 Million in the US. The best moment to end this terrorist land stealing was in 1948. The second best moment is now.