Don’t like the terms, 'pro-Israel' or 'pro-Palestine,' says Jemima Goldsmith

I really don’t like the terms, “pro- Israel” or “pro- Palestine,” as it infers the choice has to be binary. You can be pro- Israel's right to exist in safety and pro- Palestinian freedom. Those two things are not only mutually inclusive; they are contingent upon one another.

Moreover, recently, in an article penned for The Independent, Jemima delved into the challenging territory of antisemitism and Islamophobia. The piece was titled, "I have Muslim and Jewish family – I want to talk about antisemitism and Islamophobia." Jemima shared her personal encounters with antisemitism, recounting how her Jewish identity became a tool to attack her ex-husband, Imran Khan, in Pakistan. She revealed that opposition politicians and a partisan media fabricated Zionist conspiracy theories, leading to decades of threats, violence, and a failed assassination attempt. Khan highlighted the dangerous intertwining of prejudice and politics, illustrating the real-world consequences of bigotry.

"Antisemitism is on the rise everywhere and it is terrifying for Jewish people," stated Jemima's article. "There is also an under-acknowledged problem with antisemitism within Muslim communities. I have had first-hand experience of this, as my Jewishness was used as a baton to beat my politician ex-husband Imran Khan, in Pakistan, where Zionist conspiracy theories about me were fabricated – and fervour was whipped up by opposition politicians and by a partisan media."

The article continued, "This led to decades of death threats and threats of rape and violence towards me and my children, which continue to this day. Despite our divorce, this culminated for Imran in a failed assassination attempt last year. After the attack, the would-be assassin declared in his confessional video that the motive for the shooting was (Imran’s) 'acceptance of Israel.'"

Jemima drew attention to the usage of terms such as "Zionism" and "Islamism," emphasising how they are "used by bigots as a fig leaf to express what is, in fact, prejudice against Jews or Muslims as a group." She acknowledged that accusations of antisemitism are sometimes wielded to stifle criticism of the Israeli government. Conversely, she advocated for the ability to criticise Israel's actions without being falsely labelled antisemitic.

"It is also true that accusations of antisemitism have been used by some as a cudgel to shut down debate and criticism of the Israeli government. Just as we can criticise the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s government without being Islamophobic, people must be able to express criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza without being falsely labelled antisemitic. Allowing anyone who criticises Israel to be called 'antisemitic' just makes it easier for others to dismiss antisemitism, which only undermines the gravity of a very real and virulent problem," read her article. 

The ex-wife of the former premier of Pakistan also pointed out that "Muslim hatred is also on the rise." She said in her piece, "...it affects many people I love – including my children. In the US, in the last few weeks, three Palestinian students have been shot and a six-year-old boy was stabbed to death and his mother injured, because they were Muslim. Meanwhile, Trump contemplates reinstating his Muslim ban if he becomes president of the US once again and far-right parties with explicitly anti-Muslim agendas are, for the first time, winning elections in European countries."

She further stated, "And just as I have seen a reluctance on the part of some Muslim friends to recognise when antipathy to Israeli policy has become indistinguishable from broader attacks on Israelis or Jews, I have also witnessed a similar unwillingness amongst some of my Jewish friends to accept that Islamophobia is a real thing."

Jemima commented on the "selective outrage" on both sides, noting instances where individuals seemed hesitant to denounce prejudice within their own communities. "This selective outrage and selective failure to be outraged is evident to me on both sides," she said in her article. "It is a measure of the depth of their ideological intransigence, tribal myopia and fear, inflamed by social media algorithms and reckless discourse, that so many intelligent and typically empathic people have been incapable of grasping the simple truth: that you can oppose both rising antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred."

She continued, "You can be horrified by Hamas’ massacre of Israelis and condemn Israel’s ongoing killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians. This conflict has rendered each side deaf and impervious to the other’s suffering and fear." In her concluding remarks, Jemima invited people to "step outside their tribes, to put down their flags, and to come together at our vigil, led by Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones in this conflict."

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