Not being an active gamer, I hadn’t heard about the CRIT awards before today and don’t know if they’re of any importance or just a fringe group of nuts. But they’re in the periphery of SF fandom, and I’ve made a specialty of analyzing Codes of Conduct. CRIT has the worst one I’ve seen yet.
They’re described as “an awards group dedicated to recognizing talented creators in the Tabletop Gaming space.” They were going to have an award ceremony at GenCon, a major gaming convention. They have pulled out as a result of widespread outrage at their code of conduct.
The item at issue is: “Individuals who identify as Zionists, promote Zionist material, or engage in activities that without a doubt support Zionism are not eligible for nomination.” No other specific political views are mentioned for exclusion.
Let’s step back for a moment. What is Zionism? Merriam-Webster says it’s “an international movement originally for the establishment of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later for the support of modern Israel.” Zionism dates back to the late 19th century, when many Jews moved to what was then called Palestine. The driving force was persecution, especially in Russia. The movement gained stronger support when the Nazis murdered millions of Jews in Germany and the lands they conquered. The United Nations supported the creation of a Jewish State from part of British Palestine, and the state of Israel was proclaimed in 1948.
The problems became evident quickly. The Muslim Arab states couldn’t stand having a Jewish state in their midst. There have been intermittent wars between Israel and its neighbors ever since. There are good arguments that the way Israel was created was a mistake, yet it’s hard to find a better alternative. Undoing it would mean a vast deportation of Israel’s Jewish population.
A year ago, excluding supporters of Zionism might have seemed like just a disturbing obsession by the organization. Coming after the October 7 massacre, though, it’s more sinister. People are calling for the abolition of Israel “from the river to the sea.” On June 10, a gang of neo-Nazis invaded a New York City subway station and ordered any “Zionists” to identify themselves and leave. On the same day, a nearby gang shouted “Long live October 7,” and at least one person openly praised Hitler.
In the light of those events, a specific exclusion for Zionists at this time is a thinly disguised way of saying “Juden raus!”
The hypoCRITs declare in the same code of conduct: “No Racism: We do not tolerate any form of racism, racial discrimination, or xenophobia. Treat all individuals with respect and fairness, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or cultural background.” Except Jews, of course.
I hope everyone turns down their nominations. The CRIT people are pure scum.