On October 19, The Michigan Daily, the University of Michigan’s student newspaper, published an op-ed by a group of Jewish graduate students led by Amir Fleischmann that sympathizes with Hamas and proclaims Zionism as incompatible with Judaism.
Not only did the Daily publish Fleischmann’s misinformation-infested piece, but – instead of fostering an open dialogue – they refused to publish our response on the grounds that our “stance has been thoroughly covered in recent opinion articles,” despite the Daily’s publishing 30 articles with anti-Israel biases, compared to only 10 neutral, and six with a pro-Israel bias.
This is our response
According to Pew Research Center data released in 2021, eight-in-10 US Jews say caring about Israel is an essential part of their Judaism. Amir Fleischmann’s October 19th op-ed claims the opposite, radically misrepresenting the deep connection to Israel in University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s Jewish community and in Jewish communities around the world.
Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack resulted in the catastrophic premeditated massacre of innocent, unsuspecting, unarmed civilians from 41 countries. Their savagery included the murder of entire families, the beheading of live babies, and the horrifying desecration of dead bodies. Hamas was fully aware that their actions would provoke retaliation from Israel and spur a brutal war that would hurt Palestinian and Israeli civilians alike.
Yet Fleischmann refers to Hamas’s terrorist massacre as “resistance.” Can you, in good faith, call the rape, mutilation, and murder of over 360 civilians at a peace festival resistance?
Hamas’s clearly stated mission eerily resembles Nazi Germany, with Article 7 of their founding charter calling for “Muslims [to] fight Jews and kill them.” If Fleischmann claims to represent the Jewish people, why is he standing with those attempting to eradicate us, rather than those protecting us?
“As Jews… We emphatically oppose Zionism,” wrote Fleischmann. “This opposition means full support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination and resistance, the belief in the legitimacy of Palestinians’ claim to their land and unequivocal rejection of Israel’s illegitimate ‘right to defend itself.’”
Oxford Dictionary defines Zionism as a movement for the reestablishment, development, and protection of a Jewish nation in Israel. The term was coined by Theodore Herzl in 1896, but the concept has been a core value of the Jewish people since the Romans expelled them from Israel over 2,000 years ago.
Fleischmann attributes his anti-Zionist inspiration to Polish Marxist activist Isaac Deutscher but forgets to mention that later in life Deutscher abandoned his opposition to Zionism and spoke out in support of Israel in a 1954 piece in The Reporter.
“If, instead of arguing against Zionism in the 1920s and 1930s, I had urged European Jews to go to Palestine,” Deutscher lamented. “I might have helped to save some of the lives that were to be extinguished in Hitler’s gas chambers.”
CONTRARY TO Fleischmann’s claims, Israel values Palestine’s right to self-determination, evident in their numerous historical efforts for a peaceful two-state solution. Israel even withdrew from Gaza in 2005, giving Gazans autonomy that they used to elect Hamas, who have stripped them of their freedom by not calling a single election for 15 years.Fleischmann even goes so far as to dispute Israel’s right to defend itself.
What should we expect the Israeli government to do? Sit back as Hamas attempts to massacre their entire civilian population? Never before has a country with so many existential threats faced such harsh criticism for defending itself.
As for Fleischmann’s claim that Israel “colonized” the land, there has been a continuous presence of Jews in the land of Israel from 3,000 years ago until the present day.
The overwhelming archaeological, sociological, and genetic research unequivocally supports the fact that the Jews are indigenous to the land. Is returning to your indigenous homeland colonizing or decolonizing?
“Judaism is rooted in the experience of the diaspora,” Fleischmann continues. “In being a minority where we live.” Is Judaism really rooted in remaining strangers in foreign lands, only to be persecuted, exiled, and massacred time and time again? We might as well declare the Holocaust the pinnacle of Jewish nationhood.
Fleischmann repeatedly refers to Israel as an apartheid state, a term historically associated with the oppressive domination of South Africa’s white minority over the Black majority. Designating Israel with that label perverts the reality on the ground. Arab-Israelis constitute over 20% of Israel’s population and play active roles in society, from serving as well-respected professors in top-tier universities to holding powerful legislative positions in the Knesset.
In reality, Israel operates as the sole democracy in the Middle East, offering all of its citizens – irrespective of race, ethnicity, and religion – a complete array of freedoms and rights.
The fundamental fallacy in Fleischmann’s piece is his claim that Israel is committing genocide when Hamas goes out of their way to hoist their own citizens into the line of fire, using them as human shields and preventing their evacuation from airstrike targets even after Israel sends advanced evacuation notices.
Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve the right to safety and self-determination, but opposing Hamas should not be a controversial stance. Hamas is a terrorist organization infatuated with exploiting Palestinian civilians and killing Jews.
Their actions harm everyone – Jews, Israelis, Palestinians – and all of those who support world peace. Stand against their depravity. Don’t justify it.
Boaz Edidin is a former Jerusalem Post intern who is currently pursuing a degree in business administration at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Jordan Storfer is a current student at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Arts, and Sciences, pursuing a degree in economics. A third individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, also contributed to this article.