This is intentional obfuscation by anti-Semitic anti-Zionists who are looking for cover for their clearly odious positions. I agree with you about the way the terms get used by random people, but I view that as a serious problem that needs to be addressed, not as something we should accept and contribute to.
That’s why I think it is important to point out the things that AOC does that set her apart from anti-Semitic anti-Zionists. She clearly thinks it’s important too, because she makes the distinction even when it costs her politically to do so.
Breaking with the DSA does have a cost for her. You can argue (and I would) that the benefits outweigh the cost; that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a cost.
Meh. If she does try for the Democratic presidential nomination, and most not only expect she will but that has a real chance of getting it, the DSA will 100% line up behind her. Her convincing some elements that she is not against Israel per se but against some things it is doing and an advocate for Palestinian existence as well as Israel’s … is OTOH critical to get more than that lane alone. But more than this belongs elsewhere …
If you just read this part, you might think that they are on Ukraine’s side:
The Democratic Socialists of America condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demands immediate diplomacy and de-escalation to resolve this crisis.
But then you read a little further and get to the victim blaming:
DSA reaffirms our call for the US to withdraw from NATO and to end the imperialist expansionism that set the stage for this conflict.
No one who wants the US to withdraw from NATO or who parrots the Putinist lie that the war in Ukraine is caused by “NATO expansion” is actually pro-Ukraine.
He specifically said ’ Between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea there will be only one state, which is Israel’, as cited in his Wiki page I linked to before.
You can add that to the very long list of reasons that I find Netanyahu to be a piece of shit, right behind his fascistic attempt to neuter the courts with his Judicial Reform Bill.
Something about a Hamasnik at the table making eleven Hamasniks?
Indeed, you have, but you’re not alone; that mistaken belief is very pervasive. It’s led to a dog whistle that used to be used by Neo-Nazis but whose usage is much more prevalent now, demonstrated here by a vitriolic antisemite:
To be fair, it is likely promulgated even more by the Christian Zionists that @Johanna was possibly alluding to (albeit hard to know).
There is no small segment of Evangelicals who see Israel as a precondition for end times, though too bad Jews there who do not end up accepting Christ.
Belief in a Jewish state of Israel as Biblical prophecy is MUCH bigger among Evangelical Christians than it ever was among Jews. @zoo early Jewish Zionists were overwhelmingly secular. In contrast many religious Jews were anti-Zionist! Partly in reaction to the secular character of the movement and partly out of the similar (not sane or same though) reading of end times … why speed end times up?! And early Reform reaction was against Zionism on grounds that Judaism is a religion not a nationality and fearing feeding the dual loyalty trope.
Fun fact: there are more members of Christians United for Israel than Jews in Israel. @Johanna may have a point by the numbers anyway!
To expand @zoo - the old school Jewish religious view about the Messiah and the Messianic Age is very different than the Christian one: for those who really believed the story is that a human being of David’s line will, inspired by God but as a political leader, gather the exiled Jewish people back to the Land of Israel, rebuild the Temple, restore Torah observance, and usher in an era of universal peace and knowledge of God. No Messiah led by God leading? that was blasphemy. It was not to be on our timetable but God’s! Note there has been a religious movement arguing that it is God’s will, heading by a Rabbi Kook. Kid you not. NOT mainstream.
Even without this Messianic stuff, some Zionists were political. Then you also had Zionists who wanted to fuck over Arab nationalists and/or take over Israel (Palestine). [And people like Ben-Gurion absolutely did end up in positions of power in Israel, leading to lasting consequences.] But there were left-wing Zionists who opposed them. Complaining about “Zionists” does not really pin down whom or what someone has a problem with.
FWIW the only party in the current Israeli government with “Zionist” in their name is the Religious Zionist Party, a bunch of far-right, racist bad guys.
Not too long before the current war on Gaza, the only time I heard anyone railing on Zionists or Zionism, it was inevitably some crank who believed in antisemitic conspiracy theories, e.g. a secret Jewish cabal in charge of things. It honestly seemed like a slur.
I never really had heard of anyone claiming that term for themselves. But then, soon after this, I saw a lot of self-professed Zionists taking a very pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian stance. And I think a lot of others saw that, too.
What I tend to see now are people decrying those people, mixed in with some of the cranks and other antisemitic people fanning the flames and taking advantage of the situation to slip antisemitic things by. They take advantage of people’s righteous anger.
I try to point it out when I see it happening, while also not damning people for being against the genocide.
