The Esther Project: The Trumpian blueprint for ending anticolonial resistance | Donald Trump

The re-election of Donald Trump as the president of the United States marks a change in US policy – from the hypocritical denial of the American administration Joe Biden's complicity in the genocide of the Zionist race, war crimes and crimes against humanity to the irreconcilable approval of all these actions.

Besides bringing Washington's support to all the extremism, crimes and open violations of Israel's laws, Trump's return to the White House will also strengthen and expose the persecution of those who dare to oppose the white supremacy and its entry into Zion.

Under Biden, those who oppose the American-sponsored and Zionist-inspired genocide, from university students and civil servants to racial justice activists and writers, are already facing threats from politicians, police harassment, baseless accusations of anti-Semitism in the media and endless intimidation. Employers, university administrators and Zionist “defense” groups are connected to the far right.

And yet, Trump says Biden has been “weak” in the fight against “Hamas radicals” and will do more to shut down anticolonial resistance as president. In his campaign, he called for the deportation of foreigners who support the Palestinian resistance and, since his election, has appointed pro-Israel hawks to key intelligence and security positions in his government, signaling that he intends to keep his promises to fight crime. anti-Zion activists. For example, Trump named Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota who once introduced a bill that ends criticism of Israel on the grounds of “ensuring the security of God's chosen people”, as his secretary of homeland security.

Another sign that Trump's second term will be marked by a new collapse of anticolonial resistance and anti-racism came in the form of an “anti-Semitism” strategy titled “Project Esther”, which was organized by a respected conservative think tank affiliated with Trump. The Heritage Foundation.

The Heritage Foundation has been open about its intention to turn “Project Esther” into government policy under the second Trump administration. It says within the strategic document itself – which was published on October 7 to mark the first year of the attack by Hamas on Israel – that it hopes that “Project Esther” will bring “an opportunity for public-private partnerships where a willing administration resides in the White House”.

Created by the same minds that brought us the totalitarian, Christian nationalism “Project 2025”, “The Esther Project” adapts the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish heroine celebrated during Purim to save the Jews of ancient Persia from extermination at the hands of Vizier Haman, with modern Zionist stories of self-defense and victimization portraying him as a defender of Jewish activists, academics and progressive members of Congress in the US who oppose racism, bigotry and genocide. The strategy paper, which is supposed to be “a plan to fight anti-Semitism in the United States”, includes several important aspects of thought and practice as described by Umberto Eco, such as syncretic culture, xenophobia, cult of heroism and anti . – intelligence.

The people targeted – including dozens of Black, Brown and Jewish elected representatives who have voiced any criticism of Israel, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer – are collectively labeled as members of “Hamas Support Organizations (HSO)”, part of “the Hamas Support Network” and equated Purim's villain, Haman. Through this framework, the campaign targets prominent social justice advocates and Democratic Party representatives who continue to be enemies of the Jewish people, using the myth of Queen Esther to justify their persecution and oppression.

“Project Esther” unashamedly states its goals to eliminate anti-colonial ideas from the US educational system, to limit the dissemination of related information and to limit the access of lawyers to American society, the economy and Congress. It seeks to prosecute alleged legal and criminal violations by members of the “HSO”, disrupting their communications, limiting protests and mobilizing the Jewish community, unions and the American public against anticolonial movements.

With terrifying rhetoric focused on patriotism and “American values” and the latest Zionist youth about renaming offensive aggression as “self-defense”, “Project Esther” establishes the suppression of dissent within the framework of a false, interesting theory, which makes itself the last defense in the imagination. the threat of “foreign influence” and the valiant defender of citizens from black-skinned heathen mobs who are said to have promised to infect open white American society with an anticapitalist agenda. In general, the masterminds of “Project Esther” see themselves as heroes, bravely fighting a holy war, similar to the infamous portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan in Birth of a Nation.

Calling on the “silent majority” to “break their silence and speak” to “take back their voice and turn their words into actions to give to the illegitimate, hateful few who threaten the soul of America”, among other allegations, “by corrupting our education system.” ”, the “Esther Project” weaponizes the xenophobic tendencies reinforced by the incoming Trump administration to threaten and undermine the anticolonial movement that opposes the conscience of Zionism and white supremacy alike.

Under the guise of fighting hatred and appealing to a supposedly frightened and humiliated population, the “Esther Project” aims to frame anti-Zionist and genocidal opposition as inherently anti-Semitic. However, this portrays Zionism itself as white supremacy and the modern equivalent of anti-Semitic ideology, such as Haman in the legend of Queen Esther, actively focused on Jewish organizations such as the Jewish Voice for Peace and the Reformed Jewish Movement.

The “Esther Project” criticizes what it sees as “discontent” within the American Jewish community, invoking an anti-Semitic Zionist vision of the “new Jew” that rejects traditional beliefs that describe oppression and hardship as divine punishment for sin. This view denigrates the usual reliance on self-defense as passive and weak, encouraging an assertive, aggressive form of resistance. In line with this view, Zionists adopted the anti-Semitic view that the Jews were responsible for their suffering, advocating partition and the confiscation of land in the new world as the final solution.

Notably, fear mongering has long been used by Zionists to encourage Jews, perhaps whites, to immigrate to Israel as a way to regroup the Israeli army and fight the “Palestinian threat”. By increasing the relationship between US white supremacy and Zionist expansion, “The Esther Project” presents a major threat to anticolonial movements and justice throughout the country, on the one hand, and minorities, including Jews, on the other.

“Project Esther” promises to continue to accelerate the mobilization of Zionists and right-wing anti-Semites, now assured by Trump's victory, to end resistance to their racist policies through financial and educational research, “name and shame” and “legislation” campaigns. “. While defending Zionist policies and supporting American white supremacy, this document – full of false information about “anti-Israel and anti-Zionist Jew-haters who are trying to block our education system, political processes, and government” – strengthens the future administration of Trump. and Zionist vigilante groups like the “Jewish Defense League” and their natural allies, American neo-Nazis, to prevent free speech and dissent.

Finally, campaigns like “Project Esther” manage the trauma of Jewish history to promote white supremacy and suppress anti-colonial, anti-racist movements while enlightening the public to accept Palestinian unity, even if it is presented by Jews, as anti-Semitic. This understanding not only prevents opposition to right-wing agendas, it also perpetuates a fascist narrative that encourages violence against those who resist oppression, positioning them as an existential threat. This Zionist-white supermacist collaboration poses a direct challenge to justice campaigns, and humanity as a whole, using fear, propaganda and violence to undermine efforts for true unity and freedom.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.