Faculty panel debates Zionism and anti-Semitism at Cafe Vivian

It was Thursday night, and the place was packed with students. Free drinks were handed out left and right. But it wasn't the Street — it was Cafe Vivian last Thursday, hosting the year's first informal discussion organized by class senator Camille Coates '06.

Debating the topic "Is anti-Zionism anti-Semitism?" professors of religion John Gager, Leora Batnitzky, Eric Gregory and Cornel West GS '80 and near eastern studies professor Mark Cohen held the floor for more than an hour.

To kick off the discussion, Dylan Tatz '06, chairman of the Princeton Committee on Prejudice, read from a prepared statement by English professor John Fleming GS '63, who was unable to attend.

"Strong anti-Israeli views are by no means necessarily anti-Semitic, but they deserve a prudential scrutiny given the fact that culturally sanctioned anti-Semitism of the vilest kind is now endemic among intellectuals throughout the Muslim world," Tatz read. "It is particularly shocking to me when world leaders and prominent intellectuals either actively participate or stand by in tacit or explicit approbation of anti-Semitic hate speech."

Batnizky, who specializes in Jewish and other religious philosophies and law, said some people use the word Zionism to convey negative connotations.

"The real question is, what does Zionism mean? Often it stands in as a dirty word," she said, describing the many types of Zionism that exist: political, cultural and religious.

Gager agreed.

"It's a terrible mistake to think of Zionism as a single thing," said Gager, who studies early Christianity and ancient anti-Judaism.

He described a conflict between two Zionisms, Jewish and Palestinian. These peoples "with a common history of suffering," Gager said, have the same history and attachment to the same land, geography and holy sites.

West, however, had very specific ideas about one definition of Zionism.

"Zionism is a particular form of nationalism," he said, a thoroughly modern construction of which he said he is "naturally suspicious." While Zionism can be "a wonderful vehicle for democratic possibilities," West said, he stated it has a xenophobic dimension.

He also said "Israel is more democratic than most other nation-states."

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Gregory, who focuses on religious and philosophical ethics and religion in public life, said problems with Zionism occur when one draws a religious identity to a political conclusion.

"Israel should be evaluated as a state — no more, no less," he said.

Cohen said the problem exists in part because of a modern misunderstanding of history.

"There's a problem because the present Palestinian-Israeli conflict has distorted the understanding of the past," he said.

Cohen — who studies Jews in the Middle Ages in the Muslim world and the Muslim and Christian conception of anti-Semitism — said though Jews and Muslims have historically lived harmoniously, Muslims now "have searched for and found hostile statements and descriptions of Jews, which because of the current conflict are being used."

The faculty members involved in the debate expressed pleasure at the high student turnout, saying such conflict can only be resolved through rational discussion.

Coates too said she was pleased, adding that in future discussions this year she hopes to address abortion, gay marriage and "subjects that invite people to come."