Claudia Moscovici 
The Jews, though perhaps a “tribe” (HaShevet), have always had significant internal differences. A people found in practically every nation around the world, the ethnic, racial, social, religious and political differences among Jews are vast. What unites this internally diverse tribe perhaps more than anything is not so much a common identity as a shared historical oppression. Before the creation of the state of Israel in May 1948, Jews were considered second-class citizens in many countries around the world. This history of global discrimination culminated in the worst catastrophe of the 20th century, the Holocaust, when the Jewish people were nearly wiped out completely. One would hope that current generations of Jews, no matter what their political affiliation or cultural and ethnic background may be, will not forget the Holocaust nor take for granted the necessity of the Jewish people to have their own nation, the state of Israel. Without it they would be, once again, at the mercy of the rest of the world.
This is one of the main motivations behind the creation of a new Zionist organization, HaShevet (or the Tribe) started by Bryan Leib and a group of fellow American Jewish millennials. According to a June 30, 2020 article in the Jewish News Syndicate, “its board of directors includes Chairman Bryan Leib, former national director of Americans Against Anti-Semitism; vice chairman and president Nachman Mostofsky, executive director Chovevei Zion; secretary Kayla Gubov, a political strategist; treasurer Joel Griffith, Heritage Foundation fellow; Emma Enig, Republican Jewish Coalition national grassroots coordinator; Samantha Rose Mandeles, Legal Insurrection senior researcher and outreach director.” (https://www.jns.org/young-professionals-launch-new-watchdog-group-citing-dissatisfaction-with-norms/)
Bryan is a Republican in his political affiliation (in fact, he ran for election in 2018 to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District). However, this organization seeks to unite liberals and conservatives in a common support of Israel. In his interview with JNS, Leib stated that HaShevet aims to “represent a diversity of political opinions and professional backgrounds.” The group is united by the dedication of its members “to promote moral clarity within the Jewish advocacy sector, strengthen and mobilize young Jewish professionals to publically oppose all forms of anti-Semitism (including anti-Zionism), and take up the mantle of Jewish community leadership to safeguard the future of the Jewish people.” HaShevet believes that despite significant ideological differences among Jews, they should be united in Zionism.
Which is not to say that Zionism, or being for the existence of the state of Israel and its right to defend itself, means the same thing to every Jew. Some Jews support the expansion of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank while many Jews do not. As in every country where people are allowed free thought and expression, Jews meaningfully disagree amongst themselves about the policies–and boundaries–of their nation. But, Bryan Leib and his associates rightly maintain that to disagree about Zionism itself—about Israel’s right to exist as a nation—is to take away the Jewish people’s right to exist in relative safety as “a tribe”. As 20th century history has starkly illustrated, the Jews need the protection of their own state or they risk extinction. To be anti-Zionist thus means to be, on a fundamental level, also anti-Jewish.
Yet some political and social movements, mainly on the left, aim to disassociate Zionism and Jewish identity. They claim that one can be against the existence of the state of Israel and yet not be anti-Semitic. The BDS movement in particular has gained popularity on college campuses, amongst millennials who are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. (See www.BDSmovement.net) BDS calls for countries around the world to disengage with trade with Israel by imposing “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” upon Israel. The apparent logic behind this movement is to apply international pressure upon Israel to enter into discussions with the Palestinians and arrive at a more livable solution. The BDS movement found its inspiration in the antiapartheid movement and economic pressures applied on South Africa by the international community during the 1980s and 1990’s. The leaders of this movement claim to similarly use nonviolent means to apply pressure upon Israel to negotiate with the Palestinians, and ultimately withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza. Many of the BDS supporters go a step further, arguing that Israel has no right to exist.
Like another young professional organization started a few years ago, the Maccabee Task Force, HaShevet maintains that the distinction between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is spurious, based on bad faith. As the tragic history of the Jews during the first half of the 20th century has shown, the Jewish people need the protection of their own state. This is why young Zionist organizations like the Maccabee Task Force and HaShevet are extremely important. They unite people on both the right and the left of the political spectrum—particularly young people who have no memories of the Holocaust–to support the existence of Israel while allowing for legitimate debates about Israel’s national and international policies.
