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Oren Kroll-Zeldin explores how activists address Israeli government policies of occupation and apartheid, and seek to transform American Jewish institutional support for Israel.

Image courtesy of interviewee. March 5, 2024

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This video video discusses the evolving perspectives of young American Jews regarding their relationship with Israel and Palestine, focusing on how this shift is influencing Jewish identity and activism. The author shares their motivation for writing a book that explores these changing attitudes, particularly among younger generations who are increasingly engaging in Palestine solidarity activism.

Key themes include a recognition of a generational divide in support for Israel, the impact of Palestine solidarity activism as an expression of Jewish identity, and the need for a nuanced conversation within Jewish communities about the state of Israel. The author emphasizes their own journey of unlearning previous teachings from mainstream Jewish education and highlights how personal experiences with Palestinian narratives influenced their perspective.

The research underpinning the book is primarily ethnographic, drawing on interviews with young Jewish activists and analysis of social media discourse. The findings reveal three main tactics used by these activists:

1. **Targeting Mainstream Jewish Institutions**: Young Jews are challenging established Jewish organizations to align their practices with Jewish values of justice and peace, particularly concerning the Israeli occupation.

2. **Co-resistance Activism**: This video video involves collaborative nonviolent actions between Jewish and Palestinian activists, emphasizing mutual support and shared futures.

3. **Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)**: Activists engage in campaigns to apply economic pressure on institutions profiting from the occupation, despite the controversy surrounding BDS within the Jewish community.

The author argues that such activism is a valid expression of Jewishness and underscores the interconnectedness of Jewish and Palestinian liberation. This video video advocates for a recognition of dissenting views within Jewish communities and calls for a broader and more inclusive understanding of Jewish identity, particularly in light of contemporary issues related to Israel and Palestine.

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Certainly! Here are some articles that share similar themes and topics concerning Jewish identity, activism, and the relationship with Israel and Palestine.

1. **"Generational Change: American Jews and the Israel-Palestine Conflict"** - This article examines how younger Jewish Americans differ from older generations in their attitudes toward Israel and Palestine, discussing the implications for community identity and activism.

2. **"Jewish Identity in the Age of Activism: A New Framework"** - Focusing on how younger generations redefine Jewish identity through social justice movements, this piece explores the intersections of Jewish values, social activism, and perspectives on Israel.

3. **"Solidarity Between Jewish and Palestinian Activists: A New Era of Co-Resistance"** - This article highlights examples of cooperative efforts between Jewish and Palestinian activists, emphasizing strategies for joint activism and the power of shared narratives.

4. **"Reevaluating BDS: Perspectives from Jewish Activists"** - A deep dive into the BDS movement as it relates to Jewish activism, including interviews with young activists who discuss their motivations and challenges in advocating for Palestinian rights.

5. **"From Tradition to Transformation: How Young Jews Are Reshaping Their Relationship with Israel"** - This article looks at how new generations are shifting traditional views on Israel, encouraging an open dialogue about the occupation and its implications for Jewish identity.

6. **"Ethnographic Insights: Jewish Youth and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict"** - Discussing an ethnographic study, this article analyzes young Jewish activists' motivations and insights as they navigate their identities in the convideo of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle.

7. **"Contemporary Jewish Activism: A Response to the Israeli Occupation"** - This piece examines how modern activism among Jews in America responds to the realities of the Israeli occupation, highlighting the role of young activists in shaping discourse.

These articles encapsulate overlapping themes such as generational differences in attitudes, activism, Jewish identity, and the complex relationship with Israel and Palestine.

X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:LOCAL=00:00:00.000,MPEGTS=900000

00:00.605 --> 00:05.305
The main motivation for the book was my recognition

00:05.805 --> 00:10.785
of the changing nature of the American Jewish conversation.

00:11.295 --> 00:13.945
With regards to the state of Israel,

00:15.615 --> 00:18.585
there's long been a,

00:18.625 --> 00:21.945
generational divide over support for Israel.

00:22.325 --> 00:24.665
So I was particularly interested in

00:24.765 --> 00:26.825
how young American Jews in particular

00:27.335 --> 00:29.905
have been changing their relationships to Israel

00:30.045 --> 00:34.065
and doing so with regards to Palestine solidarity activism.

00:34.615 --> 00:38.465
Part of this was based on how I was brought up

00:38.525 --> 00:43.505
and my own process of unlearning some of the main things

00:43.735 --> 00:48.465
that I was taught in my mainstream Jewish American

00:48.465 --> 00:51.425
educational spaces, realizing that

00:51.425 --> 00:55.105
what I was taught didn't match up with the realities

00:56.355 --> 01:00.255
on the ground, which I only learned much later on

01:01.035 --> 01:03.815
as I encountered Palestinian narratives

01:04.155 --> 01:08.095
and experienced what, it was like

01:08.795 --> 01:12.255
for Palestinian communities in Palestine

01:13.475 --> 01:17.975
and in unlearning all of the things that I was taught,

01:18.215 --> 01:21.015
I wanted to explore, well, how does this match up

01:21.205 --> 01:23.055
with the experiences of others?

01:23.235 --> 01:26.815
So I overtook undertook this autoethnographic

01:27.895 --> 01:29.775
research project that then turned into a much

01:29.775 --> 01:31.255
larger ethnographic project.

01:32.155 --> 01:35.495
And it is a particularly important topic

01:36.115 --> 01:39.735
now in 2024 and beyond

01:40.045 --> 01:43.735
because we're seeing such a lack of ability

01:43.915 --> 01:47.975
to hold nuance in the discourse around Israel Palestine.

01:48.425 --> 01:51.255
We're seeing a massive shift

01:51.795 --> 01:54.855
in the way Jewish American institutions

01:54.875 --> 01:58.455
and Jewish American communities are approaching Palestine

01:58.455 --> 01:59.655
solidarity activism,

02:00.395 --> 02:05.335
and they continue to exclude Palestine solidarity activists.

02:06.435 --> 02:09.935
My hope is that this book, in this particular moment

02:11.485 --> 02:15.855
will highlight the fact that the ways

02:15.925 --> 02:18.375
that young American Jews in particular

02:19.035 --> 02:21.455
engage in Palestine solidarity activism

02:22.035 --> 02:24.175
is actually an expression of their Jewishness.

02:24.205 --> 02:26.135
This is one of the ways that they're performing their Jewish

02:26.185 --> 02:28.495
identities and one of the ways that they

02:29.435 --> 02:33.095
are expressing their Jewish values, not only in solidarity

02:33.095 --> 02:35.575
with Jews, but in solidarity with Palestinians

02:35.715 --> 02:38.655
and other oppressed communities as well.

02:38.955 --> 02:42.815
So I think in this particular moment, we need to hold on

02:42.815 --> 02:47.735
to nuance, and the research in this book focuses deeply

02:48.355 --> 02:51.655
on some of the nuances internal in the American Jewish

02:51.655 --> 02:53.655
conversation about the state of Israel.

02:53.875 --> 02:56.655
The research for this book is mainly ethnographic,

02:57.235 --> 03:00.925
so I conducted, a lot

03:01.065 --> 03:03.445
of in depth ethnographic interviews

03:03.555 --> 03:06.205
with young American Jewish activists involved

03:06.205 --> 03:08.765
with the Palestine solidarity movement.

03:09.335 --> 03:12.605
These interviews, most of them were in per in, in person,

03:12.865 --> 03:15.405
but many of them were also conducted online.

03:15.625 --> 03:20.365
During the C 19 pandemic, I also did a lot

03:20.665 --> 03:22.765
of ethnographic work

03:23.305 --> 03:27.005
and field work on the ground in the West Bank

03:27.145 --> 03:28.325
and in East Jerusalem

03:28.825 --> 03:32.405
and in the state of Israel, with the Center

03:32.425 --> 03:35.605
for Jewish Nonviolence in particular,

03:36.205 --> 03:39.125
participating on a delegation of the center

03:39.125 --> 03:42.445
for Jewish nonviolence in the West Bank.

03:43.305 --> 03:46.885
Um, and I also did,

03:47.305 --> 03:51.325
social discourse analysis, particularly on social media

03:51.595 --> 03:55.805
because a lot of the activism right now is taking place

03:56.425 --> 04:00.445
online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

04:01.545 --> 04:05.805
and looking at the changing nature

04:05.865 --> 04:10.085
of the conversation on social media help to elucidate

04:10.825 --> 04:12.325
the broader conversation.

04:12.945 --> 04:14.965
So that, those are some of the main methodologies

04:15.275 --> 04:16.525
that I I used.

04:16.795 --> 04:20.005
This book overall looks at the involvement

04:20.005 --> 04:23.725
of young American Jews in the Palestine Solidarity Act,

04:23.745 --> 04:25.605
in the Palestine solidarity movement.

04:26.025 --> 04:30.085
And they are engaged in this as again, a

04:31.655 --> 04:34.295
way of performing their Jewish identities

04:34.835 --> 04:37.455
and of acting out their Jewish values.

04:38.045 --> 04:41.895
They see that participating in Palestine solidarity

04:42.335 --> 04:44.535
activism, anti ooc occupation activism,

04:44.535 --> 04:49.495
anti-apartheid activism is a Jewish value in and of itself.

04:50.925 --> 04:52.425
In doing this research, I

04:53.665 --> 04:55.745
discovered three main methodologies

04:56.295 --> 04:59.465
that young American Jews in particular are engaged in

04:59.535 --> 05:00.945
with this movement.

05:01.845 --> 05:05.865
The first is targeting mainstream Jewish

05:06.385 --> 05:07.425
American institutions.

05:09.505 --> 05:13.725
The mainstream Jewish establishment is

05:14.595 --> 05:19.325
very clear on having a pro-Israel approach

05:20.185 --> 05:24.605
in terms of its education, in its funding priorities.

05:25.065 --> 05:28.925
And they have very successfully over the last six,

05:28.925 --> 05:32.005
seven decades created,

05:33.625 --> 05:37.945
a system in which being Jewish is often equated

05:37.975 --> 05:39.625
with support for Israel.

05:40.285 --> 05:43.705
And there's no real room for descent

05:45.555 --> 05:49.455
in targeting these institutions.

05:49.995 --> 05:53.415
The young American Jews say you are the organizations.

05:53.475 --> 05:55.575
You are the institutions that taught us

05:55.575 --> 05:56.615
what it means to be Jewish.

05:57.185 --> 06:01.325
We learned our Jewish values from you, values of freedom,

06:02.075 --> 06:06.245
dignity, peace, justice, Tik,

06:06.955 --> 06:07.965
repairing the world,

06:08.785 --> 06:13.285
and we see a gap in the way

06:13.515 --> 06:16.325
that you taught us how to be

06:17.345 --> 06:21.725
and what you actually do, particularly with regards

06:21.785 --> 06:23.445
to Israel and Palestine.

06:24.385 --> 06:27.845
As a result, they, these activists said, we're going

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to target you because we want you to change.

06:29.665 --> 06:33.245
We no longer want you to teach us only what it means

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to be pro-Israel,

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but we also want you to have consistency with your values.

06:39.385 --> 06:41.085
If you are going to say peace, justice

06:41.305 --> 06:42.525
and freedom are important.

06:42.705 --> 06:45.285
We want to see that happen across the board

06:45.595 --> 06:48.245
with everything including Israel and Palestine.

06:48.585 --> 06:52.125
The main thing that I looked at in terms of how

06:52.655 --> 06:55.505
young American Jews targeted

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the mainstream Jewish establishment is

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through the Birthright Israel program.

07:01.925 --> 07:06.185
On, in the summer of 2018, a group of activists

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with the group, if not now,

07:08.085 --> 07:11.225
walked off their birthright program in

07:11.945 --> 07:13.985
a defiant act of public protest.

07:14.805 --> 07:17.665
And that changed the conversation in how people,

07:17.795 --> 07:20.305
young people in particular look at the birthright program.

07:20.445 --> 07:22.265
And this is the main program that

07:22.825 --> 07:25.825
educates young American Jews today on Israel.

07:26.445 --> 07:29.665
So looking at, at this birthright protest,

07:29.855 --> 07:32.905
this walk-off was one way of understanding

07:33.125 --> 07:36.705
how young American Jews target the mainstream Jewish

07:36.815 --> 07:39.665
establishment to say, we want you to change.

07:40.285 --> 07:44.905
We want you to, no longer support the Israeli occupation

07:44.905 --> 07:46.225
of the Palestinian Territories,

07:46.245 --> 07:48.185
and we want you to educate us differently.

07:49.445 --> 07:50.625
The second strategy

07:51.015 --> 07:55.025
that the activists use is co resistance activism on the

07:55.025 --> 07:56.625
ground in Palestine and Israel.

07:57.365 --> 07:59.345
Co resistance means

07:59.575 --> 08:03.745
that Palestinian activists invite Jewish, Israeli

08:04.045 --> 08:08.725
and Jews from the international community to engage

08:09.425 --> 08:11.885
in nonviolent protest

08:12.185 --> 08:16.765
and direct action on the ground in their communities.

08:17.355 --> 08:21.685
This means Jews and Palestinians are resisting mechanisms

08:21.705 --> 08:23.285
and the architecture of occupation

08:23.285 --> 08:26.125
and apartheid collectively together.

08:27.105 --> 08:31.805
The idea is that Jews can leverage their privilege

08:32.425 --> 08:35.605
as Jews in Israel in order

08:35.705 --> 08:37.565
to both symbolically

08:37.785 --> 08:41.925
and materially impact everyday life for Palestinians

08:42.625 --> 08:43.665
on the ground.

08:45.475 --> 08:50.465
The co resistance model of activism

08:51.365 --> 08:54.105
is a way for Palestinians

08:54.365 --> 08:57.725
and Jews to say, we want to work together

08:58.475 --> 09:01.725
towards a shared future rooted in equality.

09:02.355 --> 09:07.195
This means that they are building the infrastructure

09:07.335 --> 09:09.395
for what a shared society in Israel

09:09.395 --> 09:11.635
and Palestine could look like moving forward.

09:11.975 --> 09:15.755
And this is a great appeal for young American Jews

09:15.985 --> 09:18.875
because this is a way for them to, number one,

09:18.905 --> 09:20.475
bear witness to occupation.

09:20.775 --> 09:23.315
But number two, put their bodies on the line

09:23.615 --> 09:26.995
and say, we are ready to leverage our privilege

09:27.135 --> 09:28.995
and do what it takes to change

09:29.415 --> 09:31.715
how things are here on the ground.

09:32.015 --> 09:35.715
And we want to do this as Jews to say, this is important

09:35.735 --> 09:38.155
to us to participate in as Jews.

09:39.255 --> 09:41.285
The third strategy

09:41.545 --> 09:46.245
and tactic of activism is participating in

09:46.315 --> 09:48.445
boycott, divestments and sanctions campaigns.

09:48.445 --> 09:52.085
The BDS movement, this is by far the most controversial

09:52.305 --> 09:53.885
of this activist strategies

09:53.885 --> 09:57.285
because the mainstream Jewish establishment has created a

09:57.445 --> 10:01.425
veritable red line that excludes supporters

10:01.605 --> 10:03.945
of BDS from their communities.

10:04.245 --> 10:06.905
It is very likely that outspoken

10:07.705 --> 10:10.825
BDS activists will be ostracized from their communities,

10:10.825 --> 10:12.105
from their Jewish communities,

10:12.415 --> 10:14.265
will lose professional opportunities,

10:14.875 --> 10:18.345
might even lose some important friendships or relationships

10:18.345 --> 10:20.265
because of their support for this movement.

10:20.945 --> 10:25.265
BDS campaigns are attractive to young American Jews

10:25.265 --> 10:28.065
because this is a strategy

10:28.335 --> 10:30.785
that they see having been successful

10:31.405 --> 10:33.985
in apartheid South Africa in terms

10:34.045 --> 10:36.225
of ending the apartheid regime there.

10:36.885 --> 10:40.705
And it is the most prominent

10:41.275 --> 10:43.745
nonviolent form of Palestinian activism,

10:44.005 --> 10:46.785
and this is attractive to young American Jews.

10:47.095 --> 10:49.745
Furthermore, young American Jews want

10:49.745 --> 10:52.865
to participate oftentimes in BDS campaigns

10:53.015 --> 10:55.345
because they have material impact.

10:55.535 --> 10:58.225
They can say, we want to look at

10:58.365 --> 11:00.705
how things are happening in our community,

11:01.045 --> 11:05.065
who in our community is profiting off

11:05.285 --> 11:08.385
of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories,

11:08.845 --> 11:12.945
or who is benefiting in some way from the

11:12.945 --> 11:14.785
relationship with Israel.

11:14.805 --> 11:19.435
And they can target local institutions, local

11:20.835 --> 11:23.195
companies, and

11:23.865 --> 11:27.295
therefore have a very targeted

11:27.875 --> 11:29.455
and winnable approach

11:29.685 --> 11:32.895
that might have a material impact on the ground.

11:33.325 --> 11:37.055
Most of the activists involved in this movement, the

11:38.455 --> 11:43.255
participation in these three strands of activism, is a way

11:43.275 --> 11:47.375
for them to use their bodies to,

11:48.115 --> 11:51.655
in the service of justice.

11:52.775 --> 11:55.755
They see that Jewish safety

11:57.135 --> 12:01.965
can only come when there is safety for everyone.

12:02.145 --> 12:05.805
Jewish liberation can only come when there is

12:05.805 --> 12:07.285
liberation for everyone.

12:07.475 --> 12:08.485
This includes

12:08.625 --> 12:11.165
and is, especially with regards to Palestinians.

12:11.425 --> 12:13.805
The activists participate in this movement

12:13.825 --> 12:17.405
and these three strands, these three tactics of activism

12:17.945 --> 12:22.125
as a way of ensuring that the safety of Jews, the liberation

12:22.125 --> 12:26.045
of Jews, is intertwined with the liberation of Palestinians

12:26.345 --> 12:27.725
and everyone it is be.

12:27.725 --> 12:30.845
It is their way of participating in an intersectional

12:31.205 --> 12:34.645
movement rooted in justice for all, no matter what.

12:34.985 --> 12:38.525
And to them, that is the most important way

12:38.545 --> 12:40.605
of acting out their Jewish values.

12:40.945 --> 12:44.565
It is a way of reclaiming Judaism from Zionism

12:44.905 --> 12:48.325
and reclaiming their Jewish identities from

12:48.835 --> 12:50.325
Israeli state violence.

12:51.065 --> 12:54.725
My ultimate desire for this book is for readers

12:54.725 --> 12:58.805
to understand that Jewish descent against Zionism

12:58.905 --> 13:02.325
and Jewish dissenting views about the state of Israel

13:03.305 --> 13:04.525
are quite normal.

13:05.155 --> 13:08.725
That this has always been the case ever since the

13:09.235 --> 13:10.965
Zionist movement started.

13:11.105 --> 13:13.405
And ever since the state of Israel was established,

13:13.405 --> 13:16.605
there was always Jewish descent against that.

13:17.875 --> 13:21.885
This book looks at a new strand of

13:21.885 --> 13:25.845
that Jewish descent by focusing on young American Jews.

13:26.705 --> 13:30.125
My hope is that readers will understand

13:30.425 --> 13:32.765
how this contemporary moment

13:32.945 --> 13:34.685
and this contemporary movement

13:35.025 --> 13:38.365
of Jewish descent against Zionism is part

13:38.365 --> 13:39.405
of a longer history

13:40.025 --> 13:43.925
and should be normalized that the activists involved in this

13:44.385 --> 13:48.565
or Jewish anti-Zionism more broadly should not be

13:49.395 --> 13:52.205
grounds for dismissal from a Jewish community.

13:53.785 --> 13:55.695
And my hope is

13:55.695 --> 13:58.135
that readers will actually understand this form

13:58.135 --> 13:59.495
of anti-Zionism

13:59.595 --> 14:03.495
and Jewish Palestine solidarity activism, again,

14:03.875 --> 14:06.815
as an important expression of one's Jewishness

14:06.915 --> 14:08.735
and of one's Jewish values.

14:09.545 --> 14:12.295
These people who are involved in this movement

14:12.485 --> 14:16.215
that are the focus of this book are deeply committed

14:16.435 --> 14:18.095
to their lives as Jews

14:18.515 --> 14:21.095
and are committed to showing up as Jews.

14:21.595 --> 14:23.815
And the more institutions

14:24.115 --> 14:27.655
and individuals try to create

14:28.295 --> 14:31.935
a Jewish community that is devoid

14:32.275 --> 14:36.375
of anti-Zionist politics, the less relevant they will be

14:36.555 --> 14:39.415
to a younger generation of American Jews.

14:39.995 --> 14:42.495
And so in order to remain relevant,

14:42.995 --> 14:46.215
the Jewish institutions must adapt.

14:46.405 --> 14:50.815
They must change in order to be much more inclusive of a

14:50.815 --> 14:51.925
Broader politics.

14:52.115 --> 14:53.325
With regards to Israel

14:53.385 --> 14:57.365
and Palestine, Jewish survival has always been predicated

14:57.545 --> 14:58.605
on adaptability.

14:59.105 --> 15:01.605
And this is a crucial moment for

15:02.245 --> 15:06.725
American Jewish life in particular that must adapt

15:07.345 --> 15:10.605
to include the voices highlighted in this book.

Changing Perspectives: American Jews and Israel

00:00:00 - The main motivation for the book was my recognition of the changing nature of the American Jewish conversation. With regards to the state of Israel, there's long been a, generational divide over support for Israel. So I was particularly interested in how young American Jews in particular have been changing their relationships to Israel and doing so with regards to Palestine solidarity activism.
00:00:38 - and my own process of unlearning some of the main things that I was taught in my mainstream Jewish American educational spaces, realizing that what I was taught didn't match up with the realities on the ground, which I only learned much later on as I encountered Palestinian narratives and experienced what, it was like
00:01:13 - and in unlearning all of the things that I was taught, I wanted to explore, well, how does this match up with the experiences of others? So I overtook undertook this autoethnographic research project that then turned into a much larger ethnographic project. And it is a particularly important topic now in 2024 and beyond
00:01:43 - to hold nuance in the discourse around Israel Palestine. We're seeing a massive shift in the way Jewish American institutions and Jewish American communities are approaching Palestine solidarity activism, and they continue to exclude Palestine solidarity activists. My hope is that this book, in this particular moment
00:02:15 - that young American Jews in particular engage in Palestine solidarity activism is actually an expression of their Jewishness. This is one of the ways that they're performing their Jewish identities and one of the ways that they are expressing their Jewish values, not only in solidarity with Jews, but in solidarity with Palestinians and other oppressed communities as well. So I think in this particular moment, we need to hold on
00:02:48 - on some of the nuances internal in the American Jewish conversation about the state of Israel. The research for this book is mainly ethnographic, so I conducted, a lot of in depth ethnographic interviews with young American Jewish activists involved with the Palestine solidarity movement. These interviews, most of them were in per in, in person,

Jewish Activism and Palestine Solidarity Research

00:03:15 - During the C 19 pandemic, I also did a lot of ethnographic work and field work on the ground in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem and in the state of Israel, with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence in particular, participating on a delegation of the center for Jewish nonviolence in the West Bank.
00:03:47 - social discourse analysis, particularly on social media because a lot of the activism right now is taking place online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and looking at the changing nature of the conversation on social media help to elucidate the broader conversation. So that, those are some of the main methodologies
00:04:16 - This book overall looks at the involvement of young American Jews in the Palestine Solidarity Act, in the Palestine solidarity movement. And they are engaged in this as again, a way of performing their Jewish identities and of acting out their Jewish values. They see that participating in Palestine solidarity activism, anti ooc occupation activism, anti-apartheid activism is a Jewish value in and of itself.
00:04:53 - discovered three main methodologies that young American Jews in particular are engaged in with this movement. The first is targeting mainstream Jewish American institutions. The mainstream Jewish establishment is very clear on having a pro-Israel approach in terms of its education, in its funding priorities.
00:05:28 - seven decades created, a system in which being Jewish is often equated with support for Israel. And there's no real room for descent in targeting these institutions. The young American Jews say you are the organizations. You are the institutions that taught us
00:05:57 - We learned our Jewish values from you, values of freedom, dignity, peace, justice, Tik, repairing the world, and we see a gap in the way that you taught us how to be and what you actually do, particularly with regards to Israel and Palestine. As a result, they, these activists said, we're going

Young Jews Demand Consistency in Values

00:06:29 - We no longer want you to teach us only what it means to be pro-Israel, but we also want you to have consistency with your values. If you are going to say peace, justice and freedom are important. We want to see that happen across the board with everything including Israel and Palestine. The main thing that I looked at in terms of how young American Jews targeted the mainstream Jewish establishment is
00:07:01 - On, in the summer of 2018, a group of activists with the group, if not now, walked off their birthright program in a defiant act of public protest. And that changed the conversation in how people, young people in particular look at the birthright program. And this is the main program that educates young American Jews today on Israel. So looking at, at this birthright protest,
00:07:33 - how young American Jews target the mainstream Jewish establishment to say, we want you to change. We want you to, no longer support the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, and we want you to educate us differently. The second strategy that the activists use is co resistance activism on the ground in Palestine and Israel. Co resistance means that Palestinian activists invite Jewish, Israeli
00:08:09 - in nonviolent protest and direct action on the ground in their communities. This means Jews and Palestinians are resisting mechanisms and the architecture of occupation and apartheid collectively together. The idea is that Jews can leverage their privilege as Jews in Israel in order
00:08:37 - and materially impact everyday life for Palestinians on the ground. The co resistance model of activism is a way for Palestinians and Jews to say, we want to work together towards a shared future rooted in equality. This means that they are building the infrastructure
00:09:09 - and Palestine could look like moving forward. And this is a great appeal for young American Jews because this is a way for them to, number one, bear witness to occupation. But number two, put their bodies on the line and say, we are ready to leverage our privilege and do what it takes to change how things are here on the ground. And we want to do this as Jews to say, this is important to us to participate in as Jews.

BDS Activism and Jewish Identity Intersection

00:09:41 - and tactic of activism is participating in boycott, divestments and sanctions campaigns. The BDS movement, this is by far the most controversial of this activist strategies because the mainstream Jewish establishment has created a veritable red line that excludes supporters of BDS from their communities. It is very likely that outspoken BDS activists will be ostracized from their communities,
00:10:12 - will lose professional opportunities, might even lose some important friendships or relationships because of their support for this movement. BDS campaigns are attractive to young American Jews because this is a strategy that they see having been successful in apartheid South Africa in terms of ending the apartheid regime there. And it is the most prominent
00:10:44 - and this is attractive to young American Jews. Furthermore, young American Jews want to participate oftentimes in BDS campaigns because they have material impact. They can say, we want to look at how things are happening in our community, who in our community is profiting off of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, or who is benefiting in some way from the
00:11:14 - And they can target local institutions, local companies, and therefore have a very targeted and winnable approach that might have a material impact on the ground. Most of the activists involved in this movement, the participation in these three strands of activism, is a way
00:11:48 - in the service of justice. They see that Jewish safety can only come when there is safety for everyone. Jewish liberation can only come when there is liberation for everyone. This includes and is, especially with regards to Palestinians. The activists participate in this movement
00:12:17 - as a way of ensuring that the safety of Jews, the liberation of Jews, is intertwined with the liberation of Palestinians and everyone it is be. It is their way of participating in an intersectional movement rooted in justice for all, no matter what. And to them, that is the most important way of acting out their Jewish values. It is a way of reclaiming Judaism from Zionism

Normalizing Jewish Dissent Against Zionism

00:12:48 - Israeli state violence. My ultimate desire for this book is for readers to understand that Jewish descent against Zionism and Jewish dissenting views about the state of Israel are quite normal. That this has always been the case ever since the Zionist movement started. And ever since the state of Israel was established, there was always Jewish descent against that.
00:13:21 - that Jewish descent by focusing on young American Jews. My hope is that readers will understand how this contemporary moment and this contemporary movement of Jewish descent against Zionism is part of a longer history and should be normalized that the activists involved in this or Jewish anti-Zionism more broadly should not be
00:13:53 - And my hope is that readers will actually understand this form of anti-Zionism and Jewish Palestine solidarity activism, again, as an important expression of one's Jewishness and of one's Jewish values. These people who are involved in this movement that are the focus of this book are deeply committed to their lives as Jews and are committed to showing up as Jews.
00:14:24 - and individuals try to create a Jewish community that is devoid of anti-Zionist politics, the less relevant they will be to a younger generation of American Jews. And so in order to remain relevant, the Jewish institutions must adapt. They must change in order to be much more inclusive of a Broader politics.
00:15:07 - and Palestine, Jewish survival has always been predicated on adaptability. And this is a crucial moment for American Jewish life in particular that must adapt to include the voices highlighted in this book.

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