Defending her posts, Mashayekh tweeted Nov. 29 that she was trying to normalize the language of resistance regardless of what that looks like.
This "language of resistance" has a long history. "Zionist" as a derogatory term first appeared in the Soviet propaganda hit pieces after the Six Day War, and referred to any (mostly Soviet) Jew who would as much as hint of their sympathies for Israel. Soon enough it became the brunt of underground jokes among Soviet subjects for its awkward and indiscriminate application of the term "zionist" as synonymous to "Jew". Later, it has been promoted, to be used in essentially the same way, first by the propaganda organs of the Soviet Bloc countries and Arab states, and eventually, as the Soviet Bloc disintegrated and the Arab states lost interest in antisemitic propaganda in favor of normalizing relations with Israel, picked up by Iran and its Middle East clients. From there, the term found its way into the vocabulary of the radical left through social media.
Throughout its long and infamous history lasting over half a century, the "Zionist" label was always intended for one specific purpose: to shield its users from being accused of naked antisemitism. But it never took hold as such. All attempts to misuse the term to this effect remain as awkward and as transparent as they have always been. You don't have to be an inclusion officer to realize that this is not the language of resistance. This is exactly what it looks like: the language of antisemitism, plain and simple.