New to this sub and proud of it!

As a (proud) Jewish college student in the US, I've often felt like I had to choose between supporting Israel (and being shamed by my leftist peers) or letting anti-Zionism (anti-Semitism) slide and being accepted. I now recognize, though, that there's no fucking reason that I have to choose, and that I refuse to let anti-Zionism/anti-Semitism be normalized, especially in progressive/left-wing circles. It's absolutely absurd that I am shamed for supporting the ONLY democratic, Jewish nation on earth by "progressives" who claim to be champions of democracy. I believe that the best way to combat anti-Zionism is to brazenly, loudly, and proudly express my love for Israel (no matter how I'm met by my peers, etc.) and let everyone know that those who hate Israel are most definitely NOT the allies of the Jewish people, progressive, left-wing, or whatever they claim to be. Thank you all for being so brave and proud, and for being unapologetic with respect to your support for Israel!<br><br>Edit: I want to explicitly state that my (initial) post was not intended to solely be about me - it was meant to be about my political evolution, which I thought may be of interest to others in this sub. Additionally, I am not the type of person who needs to be validated by others for my political views (nor do I expect to be), and I'm not looking for any validation in this sub. My post was intended to be about how I, as a (proud) Jewish college student in the US, have politically evolved, and how I now refuse to let anti-Zionism slide in my personal and professional life - I hope that my story (and political evolution) may inspire others in this sub to be even more outspoken in their love for Israel. I hope that we can all continue to educate each other about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and about how best to combat anti-Zionism/anti-Semitism in our personal and professional lives. I most certainly do not mean to attack or make assumptions about anyone in this sub (or anywhere else), and I hope that my (initial) post did not come across in that way - I certainly didn't/ don't intend for it to! <br><br>Thank you all for your thoughtful comments, and for being so passionate about Israel. I am so happy to have found this sub and its community, and to have connected with all of you. As I said above, I hope that my story (and political evolution) may inspire others in this sub to be even more outspoken in their love for Israel. I am so fucking proud to be a (proud) Zionist and to love Israel, and I am so glad that I am not alone in my love for Israel!