Feb 19
Let's Talk: Jewish Politics After Sovereignty with Miko Zeldes-Roth ‘18
Let's Talk: Jewish Politics After Sovereignty with Miko Zeldes-Roth ‘18
February 19 @ 4:30 p.m. in the Athenaeum @ Gould Library
How do we theorize Jewish politics in a moment when it is so thoroughly imbricated in anti-
Palestinian violence?
Since the October 7th attacks and subsequent assault on Gaza, the issue of Jewish safety has gained widespread credence across the Jewish political spectrum. For those on the political Left, a vision of Jewish “safety through solidarity” has taken hold, in explicit opposition to those on the political Right who characterize the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza, and the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes, as necessary for Jewish safety.
In this talk, I diagnose the current relationship between Jewish freedom, safety, and statehood. I show how the conceptual focus on safety on the Jewish Left shrinks the conceptual imaginary of Jewish politics in both Israel/Palestine and the Diaspora. For those who oppose ongoing violence and anti-Palestinian subordination, I argue that we must turn away from “safety” as a conceptual framework. This is because the emphasis on safety fails to recognize how, for at least some members of the Jewish public, the appeal of Jewish statehood is not physical security. Rather, it is safety defined as the freedom to dominate others. As such, embracing the terminology of “safety” in this moment risks affirming the State of Israel’s self-proclaimed monopoly on Jewish politics. Moreover, it also undermines physical Jewish safety, because it circumscribes political responses to antisemitism.
We as Jews should therefore reimagine our politics through ideals of freedom and binational equality with Palestinians. Genuine Jewish freedom and safety, in both Israel/Palestine and the Diaspora can only be actualized through binational political institutions that place Jews and Palestinians under a shared rule of law, within a single political unit.