Star Trek <> Zionism, Part 2: Living Witness, Living Proof
Previously on King Chill
In my previous article, "Living During Times of War and Star Trek", I discussed how Star Trek rescued my mental health during the latest war, and some theories as to the writing pushing Zionist/pro-Israel plotlines. At the time of writing I had watched TOS, TNG, DS9 and Lower Decks. After completing Voyager, I discovered even more connections between Star Trek and Zionism. I couldn’t help but dive deeper and share.
And Now the Conclusion!
"Are you two friends?"
One thing Star Trek is well known for is its memes: Commander Riker Facepalm, Captain Picard Facepalm, Double Picard Facepalm, Spock Raising an Eyebrow etc. Yes, there’s a lot of facepalms and frustration. But a favorite, one that likely everyone on JInsta (Jewish Instagram) has seen is "Are you two friends?" This meme features a gorgeous one-off character, Marayna, and two of the protagonists, Tuvok & Harry Kim.
Like any nerd, when I reached the Voyager episode with the "Are you two friends?" meme I jumped in joy. And, again, like any nerd, as soon as the episode ended I looked up details on the mystery babe (alongside Easter eggs and things I may have missed). Sandra Nelson, the actress portraying Marayna, turned out to be another vocal Zionist. Since following her, it was clear she’s a proud Jew, who posts pro-Israel and anti-Hamas content on her IG Stories.
Since I already knew the quintessential Trekky, William Shatner, is one of the most Zionist actors of our times, openly defending Israel in each war we face, reposting esoteric JInsta influencers, fighting our Judeophobic and anti-zionist nemeses in DMs, I decided to seek out other prominent examples. In my previous essay I mentioned how Klingon portrayal is based on Judaism, and I argued that Bajorans are Jewish (which brainwashed Redditers will deny), but this time I want to make the Trek links to Zionism even clearer, to really stick it to the broken records insisting “Israel doesn’t represent Jews” til their face turns blue like Andorians.
Note 1: It is currently a Jewish holiday about our return and eternal love for Israel. Also, more Jews live in Israel than all of Europe, Asia and Australia combined. So entertaining any Jew obsessed individual arguing whether Israel represnts us, or whether hyper obsession with Israel alone is antisemitism, is wild.
Zionist Influencers
Let’s start with show origins. Isaac Asimov, a prolific Jewish-American science fiction writer, significantly influenced the Star Trek universe. His works, emphasizing logic, ethics, and the complexities of human nature, resonate throughout the franchise. It’s debated whether he was a Zionist, because the word had different connotations even 100 years ago. Asimov said, “I am not a Zionist, but I am pro-Israel. I want Israel to survive, to prosper, to be safe, and to be a beacon of democracy and justice.” He recognized the need for Jews to have a safe haven in Israel, which makes him a Zionist in my eyes, even if it doesn’t in his own. Asimov's strong support for Israel underscores undercurrents present in Star Trek.
It’s worth noting that the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, was not Jewish. ‘But guess who is?’ (Adam Sandler reference) His two initial co-writers, Bob Justman and Herb Solow... both Jews. I did not do sufficient research to prove they’re Zionists, but with ~95% of Jews being Zionists, it’s a safe bet. These two legends don’t have TikTok like the younger, naive, affluent Jews of US and UK who abandoned their community for the death cult narrative.
In the original series, the two central characters, arguably the way people still see the show 60+ years later, are two really Zionist Jews. William Shatner (Captain Kirk) has spoken at length about bonding with Leonard Nimoy (Spock) over shared experiences encountering antisemitism. Israel has been the way millions of Jews survived, not limited to those left to rot in concentration camps, or expelled from their homeland, without Seth Rogan’s or Hannah Einbinder’s rich uncle to turn to. Yes, Nimoy has spoken about how the famous Vulcan salute is based on the “Shema Israel” prayer gesture. Yes, both heroes clearly support Israel.
Note 2: Nimoy has spoken about the need for a 2SS. Again, that does not make him any less Zionist! Any support for a Jewish homeland is Zionist, but especially support for the existing one.
Next we can get into the lesser known Zionists of Star Trek. The obvious mention is Noa Tishby, the Israeli-American actor in (one episode of) Enterprise who acts as Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel. I would personally characterize Tishby as narcistic, even for a celeb. Still, it’s nice to know Israel’s only “paid hasbarist” was on Trek. The rest of us shill for democracy and indigenous rights for free, without cameras following us.
We also have J.J. Abrams, the director of several Star Trek films, on our side. Abrams has repeatedly signed letters supporting Israel’s right to defend itself. Jeffrey Jacob Abrams is better known for directing Star Wars, another series with a clear connection to Judaism. But that’s another article.
Note 3: JJ’s popstar daughter, Gracie Abrams, posted a story of wanting peace on October 10, 2023, discussing Jew and Arab’s “common humanity.” She spoke about visiting Israel, something that 99.99% of Palestine Supporters have never done. This call for peace irked Redditors who don’t see Jews/Israelis as people and believe in “anti-normalization,” the idea that Pali Simps should never talk or make peace with Zio-Jews. In one Reddit post, Palestine advocates rant about the dangers of bringing Jews and Arabs together, insist “millions” died in the Nakhba, say things like “they're capitalists before they're people,” refer to October 7 itself as a genocide of Arabs despite it being the day 1200+ Jews were murdered, and make it clear that calls for peace on October 7 are not welcome in Palestine Support.
Tara Strong, a legendary voice actor, is known much more for portraying Bubbles in "The Powerpuff Girls," Timmy Turner in "The Fairly OddParents," Dil Pickles in "Rugrats” and many other iconic roles. She also played characters in the Star Trek video games. The ex-Yiddish Theater Camp worker was fired from one job for her comments regarding Hamas as a terrorist group indoctrinating the world, but that did not stop her. She continues to defend Israel more than the rest of Hollywood combined. She is a great follow, and it’s grotesque that anyone could be fired for wanting Gaza to not have Hamas as leaders.
Ira Steven Behr, a Jewish showrunner for DS9, has signed letters supporting Israel and saying Israel is misrepresented by the media. Just last year, Behr signed a letter condemning kapo Jonathan Glazer, who victim-blamed Jews for our suffering, in a desperate attempt to get an applause from his fellow Jew-hating celebs. Ronald D. Moore, another TNG and DS9 writer, executive producer of Battlestar Galactica, also is a proud Zionist.
The list doesn’t end there. But I’m not the right person to catalogue Trek. Also, comprehensive lists of Jews are usually something our haters do. So I’ll move on by discussing an episode of Trek that hit home.
Depiction of what I assume will go in the recent Palestine History Museums
Living Witness
The Voyager episode "Living Witness" presents a compelling narrative about historical revisionism. It’s a scary look into what can happen if the very ahistoric Palestine narrative continues to grow, unchecked by historians and journalists.
In the episode, a backup version of The Doctor is reactivated 700 years in the future, only to find that the Voyager crew is remembered as war criminals. The Doctor works to correct this distorted history, emphasizing the importance of preserving accurate historical records. Despite having no firsthand knowledge of the war, The Kyrians conclude their ancestors must be innocent—and thus their enemies, The Vaskan (Israel) and Voyager (US) are irredeemably evil.
The Kyrians, like most Palestine Supporters, seek revenge based on their fantasies. When evidence is presented showing the Kyrians were themselves the aggressors, waging a war they lost, they attempt to destroy the evidence and lynch the Vaskans. As an Israel advocate, I’ve seen the violent reactions to facts, especially the contextualization of videos filmed in Syria. This storyline parallels real-world situations where misinformation and biased narratives vilify groups without substantial evidence.
The episode underscores the necessity of preserving truthful accounts to prevent unjust persecution. In our reality, we need to preserve the many accounts of Palestinian leadership aligning with the Nazis, something Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica and other Palestine Supporters are desperate to delete from history. We need to preserve the evidence of the KGB creating the PLO. We need to preserve the texts written by Palestinian leaders, like the Hamas Covenant, to show people that it talks extensively about murdering all the Jews worldwide, in hopes of building an Islamic caliphate.
Nations and people are often mischaracterized by incomplete and false narratives. "Living Witness" serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of seeking comprehensive and accurate understandings of history to foster reconciliation and prevent the perpetuation of conflict. It discusses the importance of “normalization,” aka talking to your alleged enemy, something that Palestine Supporters openly fear (see Reddit example above in Note 2).
Living Witness is one of many reminders that Star Trek rings Zionistic ideology, evident not only in its characters, creators and cast, but even its storylines, emphasizing resilience, negotiation with enemies, ideas of justice and the importance of preserving historical truth. It shows the danger of indoctrinating children with violent hate towards another group.
In a time of meme wars, real wars, and narrative warfare, Star Trek remains one of the last shows brave enough to insist: truth matters. Science, ethics and evidence matter. And so does the survival of the people telling it. While I don’t hold hope that the upcoming releases will preserve this legacy, it’s comforting to know that the absolute best of Star Trek has Zionism in mind. And I still have more of this Zionist masterpiece to watch.
Til next time, live long and prosper!
