ZIONISM IS NOT RACISM

THERE IS NOTHING RACIST ABOUT SAYING THAT JEWS, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, HAVE A RIGHT TO SELF DETERMINATION (AS STATED IN THE U.N. CHARTER). THERE IS NOTHING RACIST ABOUT SAYING THAT JEWS HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE AND NOT BE SLAUGHTERED.

Zionism, Not Racism
We must stop ignoring defamatory attacks on Zionism. We must make it clear that the very phrase “Zionism is racism” is an absurdity. We must make it clear that support for Israel is support for the values of social justice and human rights. We must never miss an opportunity to teach people, even our Jewish accusers, elementary facts about Jews, Israel, and the world around it.

• Israel has 15 officially recognized religions.
• Israel’s over 1.2 million Arab citizens have Arab-Israeli political parties and Arab-Israelis representing them in the Knesset.
• Arabic is an officially recognized language in Israel, along with Hebrew.
• Though Arabs make up 20 percent of the Israeli population and live as full citizens inside Israel, the future Palestinian state refuses to allow any Jews. The Palestinian Authority wants all Jewish communities currently in the territories to be transferred out of the future Palestinian State so that the areas will become Judenrein (the Nazi term for Jew-free), like many other Arab countries.
• Jews have always been active humanitarians on the frontlines of most civil rights causes. Israel’s humanitarian record continues the tradition of coming to the aid of countries in need. As we know, Israel took in the Vietnamese boat people when the world ignored them. Israeli-Arabs have full civil rights in Israel they do not have anywhere in the Arab world, including women’s and gay rights.
• Very few nations or peoples have come to the aid of Jews during the many disastrous times in our own history, when they were chosen for extermination or deportation. Zionism and the rebirth of Israel are part of the Jewish answer to such tragic helplessness.
• There are more than 50 Muslim countries in the world. Jews cannot safely live in any of them. Today, many Jews feel unsafe even in some European countries.