Voting for the 38th World Zionist Congress begins today, and progressive Zionist organizations in the US are encouraging American Jews to vote for their slate. Donna Nevel says the elections themselves illustrate the racism and inequity of Zionism: “Participating in the World Zionist Congress elections under the banner of progressive values effectively whitewashes Zionism’s impact on Palestinians. These elections don’t begin to tackle Israel’s unjust, apartheid system and its underlying Zionist ideology, but, rather, feeds that system and ideology and gives them more roots.”

The Modi-Bibi bonhomie rests on much more than personal chemistry, or even the Israeli military-industrial complex’s significant role in servicing Indian needs. It is rooted in the profound admiration of generations of Hindu nationalists for Zionism and its product, Israel, whose model of nation-state they seek to emulate in India.

ews are only safe walking around the West Village because Israel exists, and it’s “insane” not to understand this, says Bari Weiss of the NYT. She also says Jewish donors should stop giving money to “prestige” schools so as to fight for Israel. “The idea that there are very wealthy Jews giving their money to places that actively employ antisemitic professors is astonishing to me,” she says.

India’s Prime Minister Modi, his ruling BJP party, the RSS movement, and their intertwined actions can teach us all a lot about what Zionism is, how how both Zionism and Hindutva work to create and defend an exclusivist, ethno/sectarian-nationalist state.

In his new book, Zionist Betrayal of Jews, Stanley Heller demonstrates that Netanyahus embrace of Trump even as antisemtism spikes is in a tradition of Zionists forgiving powerful antisemites in the west if they can serve Zionist goals in the Middle East.

If you think Zionism is out of step with 21st century norms, then Trump’s declaration of war on anti-Zionism and BDS is the battle you have been waiting for.

Tom Friedman of the New York Times says he supported Iraq war in part to keep Israel from being surrounded by chaos in Arab world. He assures a pro-Israel audience, “Israel had me at hello. Whatever you think folks– don’t worry. In times of crisis, I know where I will be. When the Jewish state is under threat–” Though he worries if the next foreign affairs columnist will get a “buzz” for Israel.

Alice Rothchild grew up with a deep love for Israel, the redemptive, out-of the-ashes, kibbutz-loving, feisty little country that could do no wrong. Yet she writes, “it is often said, if we don’t know our history, we are destined and doomed to repeat it.”

Batya Ungar-Sargon asked students not to protest Ruth Wisse at Bard because she’s a Holocaust survivor, giving her a pass for anti-Arab racism. The panel she did want the students to protest featured Ungar-Sargon and a black Jew, Shahanna McKinney-Baldon, who now seeks an apology for Ungar-Sargon’s error-laden account of the event.

Watching the election results on Israeli TV this week was to see Zionism in all its racist glory. The Palestinian parties were big winners Tuesday, finishing third with 13 seats, and the experts all declare, No governing coalition can include Arabs!