Actress Mayim Bialik (left) and Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour. (Reuters)
Actress Mayim Bialik responded to Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour's claim that a person cannot be a Zionist and a feminist.
"Zionism is the belief in the right of the Jewish people to have an autonomous state in Israel," Bialik, an Orthodox Jew, wrote in a post on her website GrokNation. "I am a Zionist. Feminism is the belief that a woman-driven movement can bring about race, class and gender equality and that women deserve all of the rights and privileges afforded to men. I am a feminist."
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Bialik continued by saying, "As a feminist Zionist, I can’t believe I am being asked to choose or even defend my religious, historical and cultural identity. The ‘left’ needs to reexamine the microscope they use to look at Israel, and we all need to take a step back and remember we are stronger together: women, men, lovers of peace, and lovers of freedom and justice."
The "Big Bang Theory" star's post was in response to Sarsour's remarks that feminism and Zionism cannot coexist.
"When you talk about feminism you’re talking about the rights of all women and their families to live in dignity, peace, and security," Sarsour told The Nation. "Israel is a country that continues to occupy territories in Palestine, has people under siege at checkpoints...There can’t be...feminism. You either stand up for the rights of all women, including Palestinians, or none."
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Sarsour and Bialik did not return Fox News' request for comment.
This is not the first time Bialik has defended her faith and support of Israel. She told Fox News in 2015 that she received anti-Semitic threats for a trip she made to Israel.
"It really doesn’t matter what I support or believe the fact that I'm Jewish and go there is enough – that should be alarming to most people."
While the threats she received were from fans, Bialik said at the time that the entertainment industry isn't friendly to people of faith either.
"I think in general it's never going to be trendy to be observant or religious in Hollywood circles," she said candidly. "There are people I know of faith and we tend to congregate together. I study Jewish texts weekly. That's something really positive to me when you're a person of faith, it stays with you all the time."
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