In the 1950s, the United States launched a sweeping campaign to root out alleged communists from public life. Careers were destroyed, lives were upended and a culture of fear permeated the political and academic landscape.
That era, McCarthyism, is remembered today as a dark and shameful chapter in American history.
We are now living through its echo. But this time, it comes under a different banner. This is the era of Zio-McCarthyism, a new political purge targeting anyone who dares to oppose the atrocities committed by the Israeli state or express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
And just like the original, this one will not stop at its initial targets.
In recent months, we’ve seen a disturbing escalation. Pro-Palestinian activists are being detained, surveilled, deported and smeared for little more than exercising their constitutional rights. …..more
