First, you have to know that there is a journal named “Settler Colonial Studies.”
Second, you should be apprised of the fact that in a recent issue of “Settler Colonial Studies,” there appeared an article by a lowly academic named “Hiroshi Yasui” on “Vegan Nationalism” in Israel. The Abstract of his article appears below.
You can find out more about Hiroshi Yasui’s article here: “Veganism in Israel is considered racist against Palestinians. Of course.” Elder of Ziyon, June 23, 2024:
The journal “Settler Colonial Studies” published this article and abstract earlier this year:
Vegan nationalism?: the Israeli animal rights movement in times of counter-terrorism
Hiroshi Yasui
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the movement advocating animal rights and welfare (animal rights movement), in parallel with the practice of ethical veganism, has become increasingly significant in Israel. Along with this trend, several studies examine and analyze the colonial aspects of the Israeli animal rights movement and its relevance to the Palestinian issue from the perspective of Critical Animal Studies. Critically examining preceding studies on veganism and colonialism, through analysis of the political discourses of leading activists and public figures within the newly popular Israeli vegan trend, as well as interviews with a sample of Israeli vegans, this article will demonstrate how veganism in Israel is associated with a narrative of Israeli national superiority. Such discourses may well be called ‘vegan nationalism’. Vegan nationalism is a discursive and regulatory framework in which veganism is considered proof of the moral superiority of a nation in a settler colonialist context, implicitly stressing the barbarism and backwardness of the ‘terrorists’. At the same time, as an article written by the Israel Defense Force indicates, in this framework, vegans present a welcome, appealing image that resonates even though it differs from the image of the stronger, more robust and powerful carnist traditionally favored by Zionists.As we’ve seen with “pinkwashing,” the accusation is that when Israelis do something that is aligned with the progressive movement’s own pet causes, it must be interpreted as proof that Israelis are trying to hide their inherently evil personas.
I do not have access to the article, but I can see the footnotes. Not one footnote I saw supports his thesis.
So for example, I can see the two references to the IDF website where we are supposedly exposed to this Jewish moral supremacy narrative that demeans Palestinians as immoral meat eaters.
One was a 2017 article in an IDF journal that describes how the army accommodates vegans, both with food and clothing choices, and the other was a more expansive article about the difficulties of being a vegan in the IDF and how the army is working to make everyone comfortable. It even discusses the dilemma of a soldier who is killing people while being a vegan:
From time to time, the vegan warriors come across people who claim that their very role as warriors is incompatible with their aspiration for morality which is expressed in the vegan lifestyle. Maj. Friedman knows very well how to deal with these claims. “I just think it’s not true. I enlisted in the army to be a fighter to protect our country. There are very clear orders in the army and our army is a moral army. If there is a soldier in the army who does something that is forbidden then he is punished,” he responds. “I don’t see a connection between sparing animals and sparing people who want to harm the country. Our army is not an army designed to kill, it is an army designed to protect.”
But I cannot find anything from the IDF that even implies that it considers itself morally superior to meat-eating Palestinians. It would be absurd, since most soldiers still eat meat. But it is justifiably proud that it offers choices for vegan soldiers…
I have nothing further to say about this supremely idiotic article by Hiroshi Yosui, which accuses Israeli vegans of instrumentalizing their food choice to present Israelis as morally superior to the meat-eating Palestinians. It’s all nonsense. Yosui’s Abstract made a deep impression on me. I hope it does on you.
Cynthia says
This is objectively absurd. There is such a twisting of logic to prove Israelis are white colonialists and a violent people. Anything to fit the narrative.
Mike says
Most Israelis and Jews eat meat. Of course, there are Jews who are vegan or vegetarian, just as there are Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists who are vegan or vegetarian.
By the way, why hasn’t Greta Thunberg said anything to condemn Hezbollah for burning vast swaths of forest, farmlands and redidential areas in northern Israel?
James Lincoln says
Mike says,
“By the way, why hasn’t Greta Thunberg said anything to condemn Hezbollah for burning vast swaths of forest, farmlands and redidential areas in northern Israel?”
It would not support her Jew hating narrative, Mike.
carpediadem says
Because she’s an ideological pyromaniac.
OLD GUY says
Just plain ordinary B.S. But they say you are what you eat? So I guess these Islamic followers, jihadist eat Camel Dung as they are CRAP in society.
JimJFox says
Twattery ad nauseam
carpediadem says
Great piece, but it’s “GROVES” of academe, unless there was a pun/joke in there somewhere. 😉
Rick Gordon says
Intersectionality is the evolution of all of the ‘ethnic studies’ that have swamped our higher education system. In liberal arts/humanities programs, these studies emphasize identity groups, multiculturism, and hate of the ‘other’ rather than the ‘melting pot’ and assimilation that has served America for over two centuries.
Through these ‘programs’ we are losing a generation of Americans.