If you wish anyone you know a Happy Hanukkah, here’s the awesome story you’re celebrating: The People of Israel/Judea/Zion fighting for their right to live freely in their land. The goal of returning to self-determination and independence in Israel has always united Jews throughout the diaspora, no matter where they’ve had to flee. And they’ve always outlasted empires that tried to erase them, from the Greeks and Romans to the Arab-Islamists.
Given this, it’s worth taking a moment to realize the madness of the media using Hanukkah to lionize so-called “anti-Zionist Jews.”
Of course, the media platforms these folks year round. The New York Times decided had one tell us how the U.S. presidential election somehow boiled down to Israel being evil. But it’s especially ironic to play up these folks at Hanukkah. I generally avoid linking to such awful material — don’t give these sites traffic! But I’ll tell you that after the October 7 massacres, Time ran a Hanukkah essay from a leader of the falsely titled “Jewish Voice for Peace,” a bigoted, radical group.
Anti-Zionist Jews were central bad guys of the Hanukkah story. Hanukkah was largely a civil war. Some Jews in every generation join the haters who want to take away their freedom. We have some today, and they are all over the media.
But unlike in the Hanukkah story, today’s anti-Zionist Jews are tiny in number. Learn about this in the new episode, and how it resonates against the massacre in Sydney:
The media often presents “anti-Zionists” as active leaders in the Jewish community, giving you the false impression they represent large groups. So it’s particularly significant that a survey of Jewish activists found a whopping 2% identified themselves as part of the “anti-Zionist” hate movement.
General surveys of the Jewish community also find “anti-Zionist Jews” barely exist. Sadly, these surveys also find widespread confusion about the term. In a survey of young Jewish people, 42% didn’t know what Zionism is. But overwhelming majorities recognized Israel’s obvious right to exist; knew that denying that right is antisemitic; and said it’s important for the United States to support the country.
It’s been a long week. To everyone of all religions and backgrounds who stand for truth and justice, big love.
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Enjoy these Hanukkah videos that also address the story and lessons. First from the awesome rapper Nissim Black, then the ever lovable Maccabeats.
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