At a time when “Zionist” has become, for many, an accusation, Casey Babb’s new book, The Moral Case for Zionism, attempts to reclaim Zionism as a powerful and rational idea — one rooted, he argues, in Jewish peoplehood, historical continuity, national self-determination, cultural revival and democratic aspiration.
asserted
he → become → peoplehood
Babb, director of the Promised Land Project at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa, contends Zionism is not the caricature commonly presented by its critics: neither colonialism nor racism, but a Jewish national-liberation movement rooted in a long historical relationship with the land of Israel.
asserted
Zionism → contend → Israel
Further, Babb suggests, the spirit of Zionism – the ethos of early Zionist thinkers – remains very much alive, and applicable today, for both Jews and non-Jews alike.
uncertain
spirit → suggest → Jews
The book, coming from Wicked Son publishers on Oct. 22, is needed because the argument over Zionism has become emotionally charged, morally reductive, and often detached from history, he says.
asserted
he → come → history
Babb seeks to arm readers — Jewish or not — with language, context and confidence: to distinguish criticism of Israeli governments from the repudiation of Jewish collective rights, to confront antisemitism expressed through anti-Zionist terms, and to recover an idea he believes has been deliberately distorted with the express purpose of destroying the Jewish story.
asserted
he → seek → story
His research has appeared in peer-reviewed publications in Canada, the United States, Europe and the Middle East.
asserted
research → appear → Canada
He holds a BA in political science and international development from Saint Mary’s University, an MA in international relations from York University, and a PhD in international relations from Carleton University.
asserted
He → hold → University
This interview was edited for brevity.
asserted
interview → edit → brevity
What was the impetus to write the book?
asserted
impetus → write → book
I had, like many people, over time, and especially following October 7, become increasingly alarmed by the rise of anti-Zionism and the normalization of anti-Zionist rhetoric.
asserted
I → follow → rhetoric
I felt like if I wrote a book just on anti-Zionism, I might be putting the cart before the horse, because if you’re going to talk about anti-Zionism, in my view, you first have to talk about Zionism, what it really means, what it represents, and what it has achieved and continues to achieve for the Jewish people.
uncertain
it → feel → people
I feel like yes, we have to defeat anti-Zionism, but Zionism itself is also worth saving.
asserted
Zionism → feel → Zionism
Your book draws on decades of scholarship about antisemitism, Zionism, and related ideas, yet you’ve chosen a personal voice.
asserted
you → draw → voice
When I set out on this path a few years ago, it became clear to me rather quickly that there was decades worth of literature, thought, and material that needed to be taken into account.
asserted
that → set → account
At the same time, I wanted this book to be accessible to everybody.
asserted
book → want → everybody
I didn’t want it to be some highbrow book that people in the back of coffee shops are reading, only to be understood by a select few.
asserted
people → want → few
For me, it was about taking an expansive body of literature and contemplation, and distilling it down into something I hope is quite easily understood for the masses.
asserted
I → take → masses
It’s a bit challenging.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
But I tried to limit, to a certain extent, some of the intellectual details and historical debates on the topic that, in my opinion, would probably do the community a disservice right now.
asserted
that → try → disservice
I wanted something that people could read and support, and which would leave them feeling good, and perhaps, a bit more confident about Zionism, and their place in the Zionist story.
uncertain
which → want → story
It is the force, vis-à-vis Zionism, that has taken the Jewish world from the private into the public.
asserted
that → take → public
In other words, it is Israel which led Jews out the synagogue, the living, and the shtetl, into the light of public living.
asserted
which → lead → living
And that’s why an Orthodox rabbi in Crown Heights can relate with a secular Jewish kid in Fredericton, because it is highly likely that a part of their Judaism is woven into the Zionist spirit.
asserted
part → ’ → spirit
Indeed, it’s probably the only thing uniting them on such a deep level.
asserted
it → ’ → level
That hadn’t really been so clear to me prior to writing this book.
asserted
That → write → book
Similarly, I realized the true existential dangers of anti-Zionism and the underlying objective of anti-Zionists.
asserted
I → realize → Zionists
I argue in the book, their aim is to ultimately destroy the Jewish story, the Jewish spirit and, in the end, the Jewish people.
asserted
aim → argue → end
Towards the end of the book, you have recommendations, actionables.
asserted
you → have → recommendations
No part of this book is me pontificating about Zionism or how to live a Jewish life or a Zionist life.
asserted
part → pontificate → life
In fact, as I mention in the book, the recommendations I make in the book are for me, too.
asserted
I → mention → me
That said, one of the ideas I raise is to remember that the Jewish people and our allies have never been stronger, never in history, and that now is not a time to tremble.
asserted
time → say → history
There’s a distinction between fear that sharpens your attention, which I think is what we need now, and fear that paralyzes action, and the second kind is the enemy of Jewish life in virtually every era.
asserted
kind → ’ → era
There’s no need for us to retreat inwards.
asserted
us → ’ → ?
We need to really remember who we are, embrace our story, and all that comes with it, and muster up a new level of chutzpah and courage, because that’s what it’s going to take to get through this.
asserted
it → need → this
We cannot allow ourselves to fall victim to the gaslighting and the moral inversion that has characterized not just Jewish life, but most of our society the last number of years.
asserted
that → allow → years
People need to know who they are, know the story that they’re part of, and know that they aren’t alone.
asserted
they → need → that
Another thing, is to do Zionist things.
asserted
thing → do → things
I understand that, but we can’t allow that to shape who we become.
asserted
we → understand → that
That’s no way to live.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
We have to say yes to things like Shabbat.
asserted
We → have → Shabbat
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
