The Threshold of Dissent: A History of American Jewish Critics of Zionism

In this astute account, historian Feld (Nations Divided) demonstrates that criticism of Zionism by American Jews is not a recent phenomenon. Surveying the history of such dissent dating back to the 1880s and continuing through the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack, Feld persuasively shows that the post-WWII pro-Zionist consensus among American Jews was a facade projected by Zionist Jewish American leaders, who, after the Holocaust, believed that the state of Israel was “essential for Jewish survival.” In reality, Feld explains, American Jews have always had “a diverse array of perspectives” regarding Zionism. Before WWII, these included concerns over whether a Jewish state would subject Jews in the diaspora to accusations of dual loyalty, and whether resources would flow to Israel that were needed to sustain Jewish communities elsewhere. Following WWII, and especially after the 1967 Six-Day War, some American Jews worried about the fate of Palestinians in territory occupied by Israel. Apart from making clear that current dissent is not the outlier it’s often portrayed to be, Feld is especially effective at noting the negative consequences of a prevailing message of monolithic, unquestioning Jewish American support for Israel (“Many young Jews no longer see their worldviews.... reflected in mainstream Jewish communal organizations”). This meticulous study is a valuable contribution to ongoing debates over America’s relationship with Israel. (July)