Upcoming, Resources

Dispatch From the WORLD SYMPOSIUM AGAINST ANTIZIONISM!

5-16-26

UPCOMING

(1) Lots of us are gathered here in Toronto, for tomorrow’s first ever

WORLD SYMPOSIUM AGAINST ANTIZIONISM!

Sponsored by Tafsik and StopAntizionism, featuring an incredible lineup of amazing speakers, including a keynote by Ben Shapiro, it promises to be enlightening, energizing, and the launch of the movement to finally say STOP! ENOUGH! Tafsik! to antizionism. (I’m thrilled to be participating myself.)

More details, and register here (I believe there is a live-streaming option):

https://tafsik.com/event/wsaa/

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(2) The talented folks at the Movement Against Antizionism have developed a fantastic training module to equip people to understand and respond to antizionism. It’s fascinating intellectually as well has helpful for activists, so I recommend it strongly. Next session coming up May 28.

Register at: https://cal.com/maaztrainaus

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(3) An ICSA member launched a couple months back an online support group for academics who have experienced professional ostracism, silencing, or marginalization, be it due to their Jewish or Israeli identities, their Zionism, or their heterodox opinions on Israel and the Gaza and Iran wars. Their next online meeting happens to be tomorrow too, so if you’re not in Toronto you might want to check it out. Here is their basic statement, if you are interested in joining please get in touch with me and I’ll connect you.

“While our most basic aim is to provide relief from isolation, we also hope to collectively develop strategies to counteract BDS, antisemitism, and the antizionist consensus that has taken over so much of academia — and by extension to protect free inquiry where it is gravely threatened by ideological capture and bigotry. The group was inaugurated in early 2026 and is still in its formative stage. It is organized by academics based in Europe and involves participants from around the globe. Given the professional risk to many of our participants, we are very mindful of privacy, and only allow individuals to join only through trusted contacts. Interested persons are welcome to write to Professor Pessin, who will in turn put them in contact with the organizers.”

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RESOURCES

(1) Last night Bill Maher delivered a painful, raw, devastating account of the state of antisemitism and antizionism today. He is one of the public celebrities who not only gets it, but is not afraid to speak out about it. You will notice how deadly quiet the audience is, and how uncomfortable his guests are. Jews are toxic right now, and even just pointing out the hatred against them makes people uncomfortable.

A must-watch, and must-share:

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(2) I’d say “New from the man who literally wrote the book on the subject,” except it’s not actually new and this IS his “writing of the book”! Henri Stellman heard about ICSA and reached out to let us know that he published, in 2018, a basic introductory book on antizionism that appears to be mission-aligned with ICSA: What is Antizionism? (…and is it Antisemitic?): A Short Handbook for Activists and Analysts. I haven’t read it yet so cannot explicitly recommend it, but I do plan to check it out once I get hold of a copy. It does not appear to be available on Amazon, but Henri offers an email address to inquire about purchasing copies, and offers complimentary copies if you get in touch with him (via me). Here he provides a short précis for the book:

What is Antizionism? (…and is it Antisemitic?): A Short Handbook for Activists and Analysts. (Aspekt, 2018). By Henri Stellman.

The author, in the words of Professor Pessin, is the pioneer in the study of the antizionism. Originally a doctoral thesis, this compact but scholarly book examines systematically ten different ways to ascertain the antisemitic nature of antizionism: antizionist ideologies, violent antizionism, BDS, acknowledged antisemitism, use of code words, double standards, consequential antizionism, fellow antizionist travellers, separate antisemitic and antizionist views in same individuals, and unintentional antisemitism. The various antizionist ideologies are discussed one by one. A whole section is devoted to an analysis of the means used by antizionist campaigners such a violence, cartoons, BDS, omissions of facts and misrepresentation, falsifications, decontextualization, exaggerations and double standards. The study is developed as a pedagogical tool meant to provide easily accessible reference for those encountering perhaps for the first time anti-Israeli activism. To that aim the book contains definitions, list of resources, revision questions, training exercises and discussion points. There is a constant evolution and mutation of the activism against Israel and Zionism. The author underlines that when he undertook his book, the study of antizionism was in its infancy with no university chairs, institutes and learned journals dedicated to it. One of the themes of the study is the largely ignored and bizarre subject of the coalescence of the various yet competitive antizionist ideologies who are otherwise in an existential struggle with each other. When it comes to Zionism and Israel, such ideologies have colluded intimately to advance a common. agenda. One may well turn the age-old accusation of a global conspiracy ascribes by antisemites and antizionists to Jews and Zionists on its head by showing that such collaboration is in fact a significant feature of the antizionist movement. Perhaps this could suggest a clue to a strategy of turning the tables on enemies of Israel, Zionism and the Jews.

(Those interested in purchasing the book can get in touch with the distributor: sales@gazellebookservices.co.uk. The author will be happy to forward complimentary copies of his book. Send your request to ICSA.)

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(3) I was honored to be invited to deliver a keynote address at the annual gala for the Frankel Jewish Academy, a first-rate Jewish high school in the Detroit suburbs. Supporting such schools is, in my view, a community obligation, a burning obligation, as these schools are one of a number of absolutely essential tools we need to be deploying in the fight against antizionism and antisemitism. If folks were inclined to send a few dollars specifically to Frankel, that would be amazing; but at least consider sending a few dollars to a Jewish day school or high school near you, because they need the money. (And they need the kids: we need more such schools, more of us to send more kids to them, and to support them.) If you do donate, please tell them I sent you!

https://frankelja.org/giving/donate/

If you find my remarks persuasive, please feel free to share, including to your local Jewish schools – in case they would like to adapt them to their own fundraising needs.

On Jewish Education

Andrew Pessin

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That’s it, for now.

Remember: We need teams of scholars producing reams of scholarship about antizionism.

We need ICSA.