Pro-Hamas Left Holds Divestment Protests at Columbia University

Zionism has complex roots encompassing secular nationalism and religious messianism, but it is not based in Christianity, despite claims influenced by the American Christian Right. Hamas’s 1988 Charter and its 2017 revision reject distinctions between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, openly calling for the elimination of Israel and employing anti-Jewish propaganda, which fuels radical activism including violent protests in the U.S. The American conservative movement has shown an overdependence on Zionist ideology, sometimes to the detriment of academic freedom and internal criticism, as evidenced by professional repercussions faced by conservative intellectuals who were not sufficiently pro-Israel. In Hungary, Kraus Naftali, a religious Zionist and journalist, was monitored by communist state security for his anti-collaborationist writings and efforts to reconnect Hungarian Jews with their faith, illustrating the historical tensions around Zionism in different political contexts. Meanwhile, in the U.S., far-right groups linked to the Christian right have used accusations of antisemitism to criminalize criticism of Israel's policies, even as genuine antisemitism and related bigotry continue to rise, necessitating nuanced responses.