Big Z and small z

Taking a deep breath before posting this.

I’m actually terrified to do this, but here goes.

One request. You do not comment until you read the entire thread. And you are respectful when you do. If not I will either restrict you or block you depending on how hateful you are.

Great, glad we’re on the same page, let’s begin.

Let’s start with some facts about me. My aunt and uncle were born on a kibbutz in Israel. My mom lived there, on a different one, for five years. I still have and wear her shirt from the 90s that says “Boycott the Settlements, not Israel.”

I have been consciously fighting for a free Palestine since I was in 4th grade, when my mom got involved in 10,000 Kites.

The idea was that Palestinian and Israeli families would fly kites over the separation wall (the wall between Israel and the West Bank, at the time). Even though they couldn’t see each other, the kites did not have to obey the wall. While the kites were flying, Palestinians and Israelis could see each other’s humanity and existence.

The project was created by Israeli artist, Adi Yekutieli and Palestinian artist, George Nustas.

Yekutieli said:

[I envision] organized groups a wide spectrum of groups, adults, children, Israeli, Palestinian, citizens around the world coming together and each person will hold aloft a kite which he or she has decorated, as a symbol of dialogue, brotherhood and understanding of the other side. Each participant will be flying a kite with his or her thoughts, fears, dreams, and hopes.

It didn’t happen that year, but it became Talking Kites Around the World in schools, and Kites for Freedom on Kibbutz Kvar Aza, where the founder, Aviv Kutz organized Kite flyings as a symbol of peace every fall. The next one was supposed to take place on Oct 7, 2023, the same day he and his entire family were murdered (not the point, but I can’t tell this story without it).

I bring this up because this project, like most in the pro Palestine movement, until recently, was created by progressive zionists partnering with Palestinians.

Zionism, at it’s core, is the idea that Jews deserve to have self determination. Period. That’s the entirety of what all zionists agree on. Nothing else. It is the broadest umbrella term possible.

And personally I don’t think anyone who isn’t Jewish even can be a zionist, but if you’re Jewish and believe Jews deserve to determine our own safety, congratulations you fall under this umbrella.

Now most people who are zionist, especially on the right, .believe their definition is the only right one. And that’s how we get to this horrific antisemitic bullshit.

There’s Christian Zionism, which I’ve already given my thoughts about.

Messianic/ Religious Zionism is the really gross concept of a “greater Israel,” these are the people who have created and are perpetuating the genocide. They think all the land should be Israel both from a political and a Religious perspective, and anyone who gets in their way should not exist. They are MAGA. They were on the fringes for a long time, and now they are mainstream.

Those are some of the right wing Zionist ideologies.

And then there is Progressive zionism. Progressive zionism is built on a foundation of socialism. It is about freedom, self determination, recognition, equity, equality and peace FOR ALL. And we have been trying to work towards that since day 1.

It includes people like Vivian Silver, who was also killed on October 7, who spent most of her time creating incredible Palestinian/Israeli Organizations like Women Wage Peace. And Ofir Libstein who was building an industrial zone to help Gazans in anyway he could, especially with getting jobs and economic self sufficiency.

This is my zionism. The Israeli peace activist zionism. The zionism that made me fight for what is right every single time.

When you say you’re antizionist, you’re not just saying you’re anti Messianic Zionist, you’re saying you’re against the people who have been fighting and working towards a free Palestine for much of their lives.

Zionism is a complicated concept and there are so many different ideologies within it that you will rarely meet two Jews that have the same definition.

Back in 2023, when I was just a TikTok creator, I came up with Big Z and small z zionism, meaning kind of the same thing as MSNBC’s Big D and Little d democrat. Big D is the Democratic party. Little d is people who believe in the concept of democracy.

Big Z is the political/religious movement. The greater Israel, the messiah. Small z is the entire umbrella term, every single person under that gigantic tent.

Big Z Zionism we can ALL agree is pure evil. It is racist and bigoted and genocidal.

But that is just a small faction of small z zionism.

No one is ever specifying being antiZionist. It’s ALWAYS antizionist. It’s everyone who has ever or will ever use the term to describe themselves for any reason. And yes, that’s just antisemitic.

And I don’t expect anyone to say Big Z and small z, but you can say Right Wing, Religious, Messianic and Christian. Make the differentiation. Cause, guess what, I’m anti those Zionisms too.

I hate this Israeli government. I hate with they stand for, I hate what they’ve done to the country, I hate what they’ve done to the world and to the West Bank and Gaza. My mom still has her protest sign from 2015 that says “crime minister.” I hate it all. But I do not hate the peace activists, the kibbutzniks, the socialist movement that informed my entire childhood and value system.

I will fight for a free Palestine for as long as it’s necessary, regardless of what given movement is in charge at the time. And I will do it because of, not in spite of my progressive zionist identity.