Thread by @ZionessMovement

Zioness Statement on Women's March, Inc.'s Removal of Zahra Billoo from its Leadership Committee

Zioness is fighting for an American feminist movement and a broader progressive movement that is inclusive of American Jews. Today is a victory in that fight.

After years of pain, anger, dialogue & action from American Jewish women and our allies, expressing our grief over Women’s March, Inc’s apparent, deeply engrained institutional antisemitism, we were disheartened and outraged to see Zahra Billoo appointed to or'gs Leadership Cmte.

Billoo has repeatedly & viscerally attacked American Jews as Zionists, &––most importantly for those who care about the integrity of feminist movement––she refuses dialogue & interfaith work with Jewish community and has even attacked Muslim Americans who participate in it.

This behavior is antithetical to the progressive movement, especially intersectional, solidarity-based activism, which demands that we not leave any group behind.

While Billoo should never have been appointed, we applaud Women’s March, Inc. leadership for voting to remove her. After years of waffling & empty statements in response to Jewish community’s attempts to communicate our pain & alienation, this swift, decisive action is welcomed.

Action matters. While, in many cases, dialogue and evolution would be preferred to dismissal, explicit, unapologetic antisemitism must be met with consequences, no matter where, when, or from whom it manifests.

We are proud of Jewish women for their resilience and refusal to give up or cede the feminist movement to outright bigotry. We are grateful to Women’s March, Inc’s leadership for doing what needed to be done. Antisemitism is the core organizing principle of white nationalism;

until all progressive leaders recognize and actively combat this phenomenon, all our marginalized communities will be less safe.

Zioness exists to unify and amplify the voice of the vast majority of American Jews, especially women, who identify overwhelmingly as both unabashedly progressive and unapologetically Zionist.

When we stand for all our values, refuse 2 check any piece of identities at door, & reject false choices, we move forward w strength & purpose. While there will be many challenges ahead, today exemplifies what we can accomplish when we remain true to all our authentic selves.

Fight 4 abortion rights is at tipping point; LGBTQ women, especially trans women of color, are under attack; accused rapists sit on SCOTUS & sleep in WH--we need indivisible, effective feminist mvmt to punch back/stand up for ALL women. Finally feels like we’re on our way there.

Zahra Billoo wrote last night that the Women’s March is no longer the organization she was once proud of, and that it had changed. We hope that––just this once––she is right.

#ZionessSpeaksForMe