US Labor & Imperialism Pt. 2: Zionism w/ Jeff Schuhrke (Palestine Pt. 16)

In this episode, part 2 of our 2-part miniseries on US labor and imperialism, Jeff Schuhrke joins us to take a deep dive into his new book, No Neutrals There, exploring US labor's support of Zionism.

Jeff Schuhrke is a labor historian, journalist, union activist, and assistant professor at the Harry Van Arsdale Jr School of Labor Studies, SUNY Empire State University. He’s the author of Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor's Global Anticommunist Crusade, and No Neutrals There: US Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine.

The conversation opens with a history of Zionism, looking at the rise of Zionism and crucially contrasting it to the Jewish Labor Bund and their different approach to Jewish emancipation. We then present a history of the settler-colonial project which became Israel, looking at the labor landscape in Palestine during the first half of the 20th century (the Great Arab Revolt, WWII, the period of the Holocaust) and exploring US labor's role in supporting the Zionist project ideologically, financially, and even militarily throughout the Nakba and the creation of the State of Israel. 

We then talk about how US labor's support (specifically the AFL-CIO's) for Zionism after the creation of the state of Israel, providing billions of dollars of support and lobbying on behalf of Israel, providing crucial early support. 

Part 1 of this miniseries took a deep dive into Jeff's book Blue-Collar Empire, looking at US labor's role in supporting imperialism and anticommunism. 

Further resources:

• No Neutrals There: US Labor, Zionism, and the Struggle for Palestine
• Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor's Global Anticommunist Crusade
• Donate to ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid)
• Donate to MECA (Middle East Children's Alliance)
• Amazon Labor Union
• BDS Movement
• Block the Boat

Related episodes:

• US Labor & Imperialism Pt. 1: the War Against Communism w/ Jeff Schuhrke
• Listen to our ongoing Palestine series
• From the Frontlines: Organizing Against Amazon w/ Chris Smalls and Mars VerroneFrom the Frontlines: Organizing Against Amazon w/ Chris Smalls and Mars Verrone
• What Is To Be Done? with Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante

Please Donate:

• Help Ismail and his family survive in Gaza — a note from Ismail's fundraiser: "Ismail is 20 years old and has taken excellent care of his mother and three younger siblings. 'Excellent care' means being threatened by American mercenaries at the GHF "aid" points when those killing workshops were in operation. 'Excellent care' means going without a rumour of food so his loved ones could eat. 'Excellent care' means retaining his astonishing physical strength and agility in conditions that would test the discipline of a spiritual genius. He is deeply loveable and wonderfully funny. He would be ecstatic to know his life is visible to others. Any money that could be appropriately spared would give him and his family such relief as I hope I will never know."
• Intermission music: "No Rest" by No Rest (Please support their fundraiser for a Palestinian family)

Cover art: Berwyn Mure

Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you’ll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast

For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.