Should I Let Go of My Zionist Friends?
My friends are kind people, or so I want to believe, but their Zionist views shake that belief — especially after two years of Israel’s violence in Gaza. I wonder whether I should distance myself from my Zionist friends, just as many of them have drifted away from me.
“My friends are good people, I want to believe, but their Zionism taints my certainty of that — especially after two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”
I am a Jewish, anti-Zionist student. After October 7th, when I became more outspoken about my politics, most of the Zionist friends I had known either withdrew from me or ended contact altogether. A few remain, but my connections with them have grown uneasy, uncertain, and strained.
Question of Moral Boundaries
Should personal convictions define friendships? Friendship usually stands on shared affection and mutual understanding, not identical beliefs. Yet, when ideology conflicts with deeply held moral values, sustaining such relationships becomes emotionally complex.
“And why do we care about our friends’ beliefs? Most simply, a friend is someone with whom we maintain a relationship based on shared affection.”
Contextual Notes
- This reflection appears in the Amateur Ethicist column, a forum for open moral dialogue in the Harvard community.
- Readers are encouraged to share their ethical dilemmas and reflections for publication through the provided submission link.
Elsewhere in Harvard news, discussions continue about free speech on campus, leadership changes in Cambridge’s city council, and innovation at the HBS competition judged by entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary.
Author’s Summary: A Jewish anti-Zionist student reflects on the tension between moral convictions and friendship, questioning how values shape lasting personal connections.