What can we learn about the purpose of Jewish anti-Zionism and its pattern in history?

(This article can be thought of as Part II of a series sparked by my conversation with Peter Beinart about my book, and the responses I’ve received. I am not sure how long the series will last, so bear with me if the topic of Jewish Anti-Zionism isn’t high on your list.)

The end goal of Jewish anti-Zionists such as Peter Beinart is the transformation of Israel into a ‘State of All Its Citizens’ with an identity separate and distinct from that of the Jewish People. How this would practically happen is often described in broad brushstrokes as a copy of the South African model: Israel would naturalize all of the residents of the lands it militarily occupies (in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza), and remove or rewrite any laws which could be interpreted as giving preference to the Jews over the non-Jewish residents of the Land. As a result, a new Israel-Palestine would arise, a true liberal democracy with equal rights for all, where every resident between the River and the Sea will be free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

(Yes, I recognize that this is a generous interpretation of Jewish anti-Zionism, and is explicitly not what most antizionists want, which, in their own words, is for Jews to ‘go back to where they came from,’ wherever that is. My goal here is not to argue with the non-Jewish antizionists, but to deepen our understanding Jewish anti-Zionism and its desired end.)

On the face of it, it is hard to oppose this utopian vision: the Jewish People would remain in the land of their ancestors and be afforded all of the rights and responsibilities of a liberal, democratic state that would defend their individual........

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