If it is not possible to be Zionist and a feminist, then it is impossible to be a feminist at all

The Forward, disgracefully, gives space to Mariam Barghouti, a Ramallah-based writer (I don't know if she is related to the terrorists with the same last name.) She reiterates the absurd claim that one cannot be a feminist and a Zionist.

The crux of her argument:

When I hear anyone championing Zionism while also identifying as a feminist, my mind turns to images of night raids, to the torture of children and to the bulldozing of homes. But I also think of those female soldiers who casually partake in it all, including ex-Israeli soldier and “Wonder Woman” Gal Gadot, who expressed her love and support for the Israel Defense Forces as they bombed and killed thousands of Palestinians in Gaza in 2014.

Being a feminist and a Zionist is a contradiction in terms because the Zionist feminist is complicit in propagating supremacy and domination over a people on the one hand, while on the other hand calling for an end to patriarchy.

Let's pretend that her argument has merit. Let's forget that the definition of Zionism has nothing to do with subjugatng another people.

According to Barghouti's logic, anyone who believes in any system where there is a whiff of supremacy or domination over anyone else cannot possibly be a feminist.

Her next paragraph actually goes in that direction, where she essentially says that it is impossible to be a white feminist as well!

 Indeed, the Zionist feminist is reminiscent of another kind of feminist: the white feminist. Women of color have been historically marginalized within the feminist movement, mostly due to white women stifling racial justice issues and de-emphasizing the specific oppressions faced by people of color because of their race, ethnicity and class. This negligence was often justified as working for collective sisterhood. But as Hooks eloquently explains, “As long as women are using class or race or power to dominate other women, feminist sisterhood cannot be fully realized.” Fundamentally speaking, feminism cannot support racism, supremacy and oppressive domination in any form.

Barghouti's thesis is that if you belong to any group that can be considered oppressive, then you cannot be a feminist.

Therefore - can one be a Muslim feminist? After all, Islamic law does not allow women to have the same rights as men. Not in testimony, not in marriage, not in clothing. So by her definition, one cannot be a Muslim feminist.

Can one be a Palestinian feminist? Polls show that Palestinian Arabs overwhelmingly support specific terror acts against Jews, so therefore they support the oppression and murder of Jews. Moreover, they deny the Jewish right to self determination and a homeland, not accepting the concept of a Jewish state. So by her definition, it is impossible to be a Palestinian feminist.

Can one be a Belgian feminist? Belgium has a rich history of colonialism, and since stereotyping is an essential part of Barghouti's definition of oppressors (considering all white women to be racist, considering all Zionists to be bloodthirsty killers or cheerleaders of such) then Belgians (and British, and French, and Spanish....) cannot be feminist.

Can one be an Australian or New World feminist? Of course not, because any non-indigenous person who lives in Australia (or North and South America) lives on land that rightfully belongs to First Peoples. Their very existence shows oppression is an inseparable part of them. In her own words, an American or Australian feminist "is complicit in propagating supremacy and domination over a people on the one hand, while on the other hand calling for an end to patriarchy.") If you don't give your house away to the indigenous natives, you are an oppressor and have no right to call yourself a feminist.

So we are left with very few people in the world who can possibly be feminist. Too bad. I thought the idea of equal rights has merit, but obviously it would be hypocritical to push feminist ideas when one is a citizen of a nation/state that has laws that prioritize its citizens above non-citizens - a clear case of subjugation of others, when you think about it.

And therein lies the irony: By pretending that "feminism" means something other than equal rights for women, Barghouti and her intersectional pals are hurting the cause of equal rights for women by adding these insane, arbitrary rules that can disenfranchise and exclude the biggest champions of equal rights.

If Barghouti is crafting this argument to exclude only people who support Jewish nationalism, then she is a bigot. If she is consistent in applying her argument to all who are equally "guilty," then it is almost impossible to be a feminist unless you are a member of an aboriginal tribe with no history of sexism or oppression against other tribes.

By the way, here is what Mariam Barghouti (who has American citizenship) looks like.

A white person who is trying to pretend to be a person of color in order to hijack other movements towards the Palestinian cause - to the detriment of everyone else.

Sounds like oppression.

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