Zionism, Racism And The New NUS President Malia Bouattia

The statement made by the president of the Birmingham University Jewish Society claiming that criticism of Zionism is the same as an attack on Judaism is incorrect. Zionism is a political movement that should be subject to scrutiny and opposition from all, including Jews. Considering it as beyond reproach can lead to a situation similar to the treatment of communism in China, where criticism of the state ideology can lead to imprisonment. Furthermore, criticism of any religion, including Judaism, should be permitted if it upholds values such as patriarchy, homophobia, inequality, exploitation, or racism.

It’s essential to differentiate between criticism of political movements and the demonization of Jewish people as individuals. Antisemitism and any other forms of racism are unacceptable and must be eradicated. Birmingham J-Soc contributes to the struggle against antisemitism by avoiding obfuscation that propagates anti-Jewish prejudice.

The election of Malia Bouattia as the first black woman NUS president should be a moment of celebration. However, the attacks levied against her, which suggest that her use of language reinforces negative stereotypes of Jewish people, are unfounded. The use of pejorative terms such as “Zionist outpost” is not the same as antisemitism and political movements and their adherents should be open to criticism. It is regrettable that some Jewish students labeled Bouattia as anti-Semitic due to political differences.

The refusal of the new NUS president to support a Kurdish solidarity motion that also condemns ISIS is worrying. We must condemn the barbaric crimes committed by ISIS rather than seeing them as a representative of all Muslims. Failure to do so indicates racism or prejudice, which is unacceptable.

There is a concerning lack of a steadfast stance from individuals who hold significant power and knowledge in regards to promoting social justice. This absence of a principled position inadvertently supports the extremist right-wing factions within British society, as well as the far-right extremist groups found within political Islam. It is imperative for influential figures to take a clear stance against hate and prejudice in order to prevent its spread.

It should be noted that the contents of a letter written by Tony Greenstein underwent revision on April 26th, 2016. This amendment was made to remove any association with the group known as Jews for Jeremy, as he was not representing them in his writing.