Palestine Solidarity Campaign publishes post calling Zionists “brainwashed racists” who should be fired from their places of work
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has published an Instagram post calling Zionists “brainwashed racists” who should be fired from their places of work.
The incendiary statement was made among a series of inflammatory graphics, believed originally to have been produced by the anti-Israel group “Key 48” and then reproduced to the account of the PSC’s Brixton chapter with a new caption that read: “DO NOT NORMALISE FACISIM [sic]”.
In the first of the series of graphics posted to the account, a slide reads “How to talk to Zionists”, followed by a second that simply says “Don’t”.
Subsequent slides refer to Zionism as “an inherently violent and terroristic movement,” and tars Zionists as “a racist minority” who have been “brainwashed”.
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination (e.g. by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour)” is an example of antisemitism.
The Instagram post disgracefully went on to compare Zionism with mental illness, stating: “If a Zionist wants to talk to you, direct them to a therapist. As no logical, sane or moral person is a Zionist.”
Another graphic reads: “Zionists need to be called out. Is your co-worker a Zionist? Your teacher/lecturer a Zionist? Campaign for them to be fired.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism published a video rebuking the post. The PSC Brixton account has since deleted the post from its Instagram account.
This is not the first time that the PSC has found itself at the centre of an antisemitism-related controversy, with many of its rallies being host to antisemitic placards and pamphlets. A month-long investigation by Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2017 exposed extensive antisemitic bigotry amongst PSC supporters on social media.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This Instagram post is nothing short of incitement by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, amongst whose supporters there has been a long history of antisemitism. Zionism is simply the movement to afford Jews the right of self-determination in Israel afforded to other peoples all over the world and recognised in Article 1 of the UN Charter. The claim that Zionism is racism is therefore an attempt to deny Jews, uniquely, the right to self-determination, which breaches the International Definition of Antisemitism.
“In addition to the incendiary and grotesque insinuation that Zionism is a mental health disorder and the call to have Zionists fired from their places of work, this post by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign constitutes clear incitement and intimidation. While the controversial organisation will claim to be targeting ‘Zionists’, we know by now that, regrettably, it will be Jewish people who bear the brunt of this rhetoric. Posts such as this have no place online, and we have called on Instagram to remove it.”
