Unsettled American Jews and the movement for justice in Palestine

Oren Kroll-Zeldin

Book - 2024

"Unsettled examines the role of young American Jews in the Palestine solidarity movement and argues that their activism and commitment to ending the occupation and Israeli apartheid is a Jewish value, which is a necessary response to the changing conditions of American Jewish life in the twenty-first century"--

Saved in:

2nd Floor New Shelf Show me where

327.11095694/Kroll-Zeldin
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor New Shelf 327.11095694/Kroll-Zeldin (NEW SHELF) Checked In
  • Introduction: American Jews Challenge the Establishment
  • 1. The Palestine Solidarity Movement: Activism and Resistance among Young Jews
  • 2. Unlearning Zionism: Myths, Miseducation, and Pro-Israel Indoctrination
  • 3. #NotJustAFreeTrip: Protest and the "Birthright Walk-Offs"
  • 4. Co-resistance: Palestinian and Jewish Activists in Collective Struggle
  • 5. Under Pressure: Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions
  • Conclusion: Occupation Is Not Our Judaism
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
  • Index
  • About the Author
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A Jewish academic and activist delineates the history of Jewish social justice activism and solidarity with Palestinians. Kroll-Zeldin, a professor of theology and religious studies at the University of San Francisco, examines the important tradition of speaking out against Israel's oppressive practices against Palestinians, especially among Jewish American millennials and the Gen Z cohort. This activism emerged well before the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023; indeed, the author's research emerged years before. Throughout, he highlights the significant work of grassroots organizations whose aims are generally "to end Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories, abolish the mainstream Jewish community's support for the occupation, and call attention to the freedom, dignity, and justice that Palestinians demand." Kroll-Zeldin focuses on the strategies of four groups, "each integral to Jewish Palestine solidarity activism in the United States": Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow, the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, and All That's Left: Anti-Occupation Collective. They "engage in direct actions in the United States that target the American Jewish Establishment, are deeply immersed in co-resistance [Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions] and solidarity activism with Palestinian communities in Palestine/Israel, and have become the subject of widespread media reporting in Israel" and the U.S. In the last chapter, Kroll-Zeldin champions the successful strides of the BDS movement and how associating with it has resulted in a "red line" being drawn by the Israeli government and caused considerable backlash for the participants. While some of the groups are anti-Zionist, Kroll-Zeldin asserts they are not antisemitic. Given the current conflict in the Gaza region, readers will hope for an updated edition of this study. A solid demonstration of why unconditional support for Israel is no longer acceptable to many young Jewish Americans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.