Boundless Insights - with Aviva Klompas American Antizionism - with Shaul Kelner
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Dec 29, 2025 Shaul Kelner, a Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Vanderbilt University, dives into the complexities of American antizionism. He discusses how this movement operates more as a political act than an intellectual critique, emphasizing the dangers it poses to Jewish communities. Kelner unpacks the ambiguity in the pro-Palestine movement's goals and its roots in U.S. academia. Highlighting the distinction between anti-Zionism and antizionism, he warns that misunderstanding these terms can hinder critical discussions around antisemitism and broader social inclusivity.
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Anti-Zionism As A Bottom-Up Movement
- Anti-Zionism in the U.S. is a bottom-up social movement converting personal politics into institutional policy.
- Activists push boycott and exclusionist practices into scholarly associations, councils, and co-ops.
Ambiguity Fuels Coalition Building
- Anti-Zionist organizers keep end goals ambiguous to build broad coalitions.
- Ambiguity lets both maximalists and undecided participants mobilize together effectively.
Why Write AntiZionism Without A Hyphen
- Drop the hyphen: anti-Zionism functions as a singular social phenomenon focused on actors, not textual critiques.
- The concern is what activists do in the name of anti-Zionism, not the intellectual history of Zionist thinkers.
