Facts are important in this debate

March 17, 2025

Michelle Berkon writes that “to criticise and refute Zionism in terms that accurately reflect its nature as a settler colonial, supremacist, apartheid, genocidal project is simply fact”. Criticism may contain facts, but criticism is not of itself fact.

If the “fact” being referred to is the nature of Zionism, then it should be clear that it is an expressed opinion – not fact. Indeed, it’s an opinion that paints any Zionist as inherently evil. As Berkon states further on, “I unequivocally call for Zionism to be officially declared a racist ideology, for Zionist speech to be outlawed as hate speech”. So she wants to shut down any argument a Zionist might make, but complains about “threats of legal action, cancelled events, suspension of programs, and so on, amount(ing) to a war of attrition” against anti-Zionists.

Berkon’s plea that she is “a Jewish person with a solid grounding in our history of social justice struggle” doesn’t make her knowledgeable about the Jewish community. And the rage she expresses towards Zionism, Zionists and Israel are lightweight words of propaganda.

What’s needed is real criticism of all the players in this tragedy and a path out of it.