“UNDERSTANDING ZIONISM”
Class 6 – Zionism and the Movement for Palestine in the US
This session will explore the role Zionism plays within the US as not simply support for Israel but as an extension of the logic of imperialism domestically. On a political and institutional level, Zionism is a hegemonic ideological force. The network of pro-Israel organizations and lobby groups wield considerable influence and shape corporate media, political actors, and US institutional life in order to suppress the movement for Palestinian liberation. However, at its core, Zionism remains hegemonic because it also constitutes a core feature of US imperialist politics on a global scale. This session will discuss that while support for Zionism appears antithetical to liberal values typically espoused by US institutions who support Israel, in reality Zionism lays bare the true commitment of these institutions to advancing imperialism, corporate interests, and the political and economic disenfranchisement of the US working class. This will lead us to understand what we are fighting for, especially in the West, and what we are up against as we continue to grow the movement for Palestine.
