Public Announcement - Zionist Revealed!

[Zeno]

I am a Zionist. I have always been a Zionist.

I am the quintessential Zionist and this is the essence of my being, body and soul, heart and mind.

Since I am now out of the closet, I was wondering if anyone could give me a coherent definition of what a Zionist IS. No pretense, no political jargon, no obfuscation, no tautologies, no propaganda, just a clear, logical definition. If a clear and logical definition does not exist, then perhaps Zionists do not exist either. But first, just for the sake of my insalubrious curiosity, it would be interesting to know what I am as a Zionist. Thanks.

-Zeno

PS (My Oxford and other references are at the ready)

[Cyrus]

Zionism is the obsessive and fanatical frame of mind that often afflicts otherwise intelligent people when they discuss the Holy Subject of ionised molecules.

The Z was added so that they can always have the last word.

[Gamblor]

Zion is the ancient Hebrew name for Jerusalem.

Basic Concepts of Zionism:

Zionism, the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, advocated, from its inception, tangible as well as spiritual aims. It began as a response to the subjugated social and economic class of Jews in every nation they inhabited. Jews of all persuasions, left and right, religious and secular, joined to form the Zionist movement and worked together toward these goals. Disagreements led to rifts, but ultimately, the common goal of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland was attained. The term "Zionism" was coined in 1893 by Nathan Birnbaum.

Jewish Connection to Israel:

Over the centuries in the Diaspora, the Jews maintained a strong and unique relationship with their historical homeland, and manifested their yearning for Zion through rituals and literature. In prayer, the Jewish worshiper is instructed to face east, towards the Land of Israel. In the morning service, Jews say "Bring us in peace from the four corners of the Earth and lead us upright to our Land." Worshipers repeatedly recite, "Blessed are You, O Lord, Who returns His presence to Zion." The grace after meals includes a blessing which ends with a prayer for the rebuilding of "Jerusalem, the Holy City, speedily and in our days." In the marriage ceremony, the bridegroom seeks to "elevate Jerusalem to the forefront of our joy." At a circumcision, the following is recited from the Psalms "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand wither." On Passover, every Jew declares, "Next year in Jerusalem." At times of mourning, the bereaved are comforted with mention of t he Land of Israel: "Blessed are You, O Lord, Consoler of Zion, Builder of Jerusalem." The longing of the Jewish people to return to its Land was also expressed in prose and poetry, in Hebrew, and in other Jewish languages, which evolved over the centuries s, Yiddish in Eastern Europe and Ladino in Spain.

Three branches of Zionism:

1) Labour Zionism: The dominant force in early 20th century Zionism. The socialist, secular Zionism is based on Ber Borochov's Nationalism and Class Struggle. Borochov showed how the nation (in this case the Jewish nation) was the best institution through which to conduct the class struggle. According to Borochov, only through the establishment of a Jewish society controlling its own economic infrastructure could Jews be integrated into the revolutionary process. His synthesis of Marxism and Zionism attracted many Russian Jews in the first major Aliyah (immigration). AD Gordon, another intellectual Labour Zionist, believed that only by physical labor and by returning to the land could the Jewish people achieve national salvation in Palestine. He and his political party, HaPoel HaTzair (The Young Worker), were a major force behind the movement to collectivize Jewish settlements in Palestine. The first kibbutz was begun by Gordon and his followers at Deganya in the Galilee. Ben-Gurion, later the first prime-minister of Israel, foresaw that the fate of Zionist settlement in Palestine depended on the creation of a strong Jewish economy. This aim, he believed, could only be accomplished through the creation of a Hebrew-speaking working class and a highly centralized Jewish economic structure. Beginning in the 1920s, he set out to create the immense institutional framework for a Jewish workers' state in Palestine.

2) Political/Revisionist Zionism: Theodor Herzl is the forefather of Political Zionism. He stressed the importance of political action and deemed the attainment of political rights in Palestine a prerequisite for the fulfillment of the Zionist enterprise. His aim was to obtain a charter, recognized by the world leadership, granting the Jews sovereignty in a Jewish *owned territory. The Basle Program, drawn up in accordance with these principles, states that Zionism aims to establish “a secure haven, under public law, for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.” Organizational and economic mechanisms (the Zionist Organization , the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet L'Israel), the Jewish Colonial Trust and so on) were established to carry out this program. Ze'ev Jabotinsky, an Italian, advocated the revision of the principles of Political Zionism by the following means: relentless pressure on Great Britain, including petitions and mass demonstrations, for Jewish statehood on both banks of the Jordan River; a Jewish majority in Palestine; a reestablishment of the Jewish regiments; and military training for youth.

The National Military Organization (Etzel - the Irgun) and some members of the Jewish Freedom Fighters (Lehi) came from the ranks of the Revisionists. After the State of Israel was established, the Revisionist Zionist Organization merged with the Etzel-founded Herut movement to form the Herut party, a component of the Likud, one of Israel's two main political parties.

Spiritual Zionism:
A trend in Jewish nationalist thinking and Zionist ideology, was most prominently championed by Ahad Ha'am (Asher Zvi Ginsberg), one of the leaders of Hibbat Zion, a predecessor of Zionism.

In contrast to the views of Theodore Herzl and Political Zionism, in which Jewish statehood was advocated as a solution to the question of the Jews, Ahad Ha'am saw the crux of the problem in the question of Judaism, which, he believed, had lost its spiritual assets — its sources of creative and national might.

Because Ahad Ha'am did not believe that Palestine could accommodate all of Jewry, a Jewish state there, in his estimation, would not solve the problem of the Jews' social and economic status. Efforts should concentrate on establishing a national spiritual center, a hub of high*quality life in Palestine, that would radiate to all Diaspora communities.

The correct course of action, Ahad Ha'am argued, is extensive and continuing educational activity among Jews and moderate settlement activity in Palestine.

[Chris Alger]

"the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland...."

I doubt that very many Jews prior to the 19th century would have identified the Ottoman province that included the land where the tribal kingdom of Israel once stood as their "homeland."

"and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty..."

This wasn't a matter of Zionist consensus, at least not overtly, until around the time of the Biltmore program in 1942. The Balfour declaration referred to a Jewish "homeland" without prejudice to the rights of Arabs. Hardly a mandate for "Jewish sovereignty."

"in the Land of Israel."

More like in "all or some portion of the former Palestine." To date there is no consensus among Zionists about where the lines should or can be drawn. Those arguing for permanent absolute control over all of the former Palestine would be considered right-wing Zionists. Virtually no Zionists insist on having Israel's borders mirror those of the ancient Israelite kingdoms centered in the upper Galilee and (what is now) the West Bank.

"Jewish Connection to Israel"

This is misleading because it fails to point out the absence of any Judaic political ideology relating Eretz Yisrael. Zionism was dominated by secular politics and leaders for most of its history; very few Jews considered themselves "Zionists" prior to WWI. Many of the most religious viewed Zionism as a form of blasphemy, or worse, an attitude that survives today. Zionism owes much more to the ideologies of national rights and imperialism that it does from Jewish religious tradition, liturgy or scripture.

"Spiritual Zionism: A trend in Jewish nationalist thinking and Zionist ideology, was most prominently championed by Ahad Ha'am (Asher Zvi Ginsberg), one of the leaders of Hibbat Zion, a predecessor of Zionism."

Whose words are worth remembering: "If a time comes when our people in Palestin develop so that, in small or great measure, they push out the native inhabitants, these will not give up their place easily." Ha'Am was a vociferous critic of early Zionist attitudes toward the Palestinians: they "behave towards the Arabs with hostility and cruetly, trespass without justification, beat them shamefully without sufficient cause and then boast about it."

[ACPlayer]

Zionism is a state of paranoia about not having a safe place to live that leads people to create by brutal force a place to live that has no chance of being a safe place to live mostly as a result of policies dictated by the same said state of paranoia about not have a safe place to live and thus generating another group of people who will live in a state of paranoia about having a safe place to live due to the brutal policies of the paranoid zionists.

I'll let others elaborate on the punctuation. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Gamblor]

Alger, not being a Jew and subject to the same academic bullshit as many who don't understand, is once again clueless as to the Zionist movement's aspirations. Despite secular leanings, it was inclusive of all Jews, and in fact the secularists consulted with the religious. The religious Orthodox were the primary advisors in the Jewish thought and law that would prevail over the new land, while the secularists were more involved in statecraft.

I doubt that very many Jews prior to the 19th century would have identified the Ottoman province that included the land where the tribal kingdom of Israel once stood as their "homeland.

This is the most hilarious of all.

The aspiration of returning to their homeland was first held by Jews exiled to Babylon some 2,500 years ago.

In Psalms 137:1 we read, "By the water of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion."

The sages celebrated the bitterness of exile in many a poignant phrase:

"The exile atones for all the sins of the Jews."
"With him who dwells outside Palestine it is as though God were not with him."
"Those Jews who dwell outside Palestine do not enjoy eternal life."

In prayer, the Jewish worshipper is instructed to face east, towards the Land of Israel. In the morning service (Shachrit), Jews say "Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright to our land." Worshippers repeatedly recite, "Blessed are You, O Lord, Who builds Jerusalem," and "Blessed are You O Lord, Who returns His presence to Zion." The grace after meals includes a blessing which ends with a prayer for the rebuilding of "Jerusalem, the Holy City, speedily and in our days." In the marriage ceremony, the bridegroom seeks to "elevate Jerusalem to the forefront of our joy." At a circumcision the following is recited from the Psalms "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand wither." And in the concluding verse of the Passover sedar, spoken by every Jew throughout the world: "Next year in Jerusalem".
Everyone now! "L'shana, haBa'a, b'Yerushalayim, b'Yerushalayim, haB'nuya!"

You lose, again.

The Zionist movement aimed to solve the "Jewish problem," the problem of a perennial minority, a people subjected to repeated pogroms and persecution, a homeless community whose alienism was underscored by discrimination wherever Jews settled.

The only Jewish dissenters were the extremely Orthodox, who only were in dissent because they believed the Jews were not allowed to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple until the arrival of the Messiah. The most often response was to point out that the Torah states that God helps those who help themselves.

[MMMMMM]

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

Your remark is very one-sided. The Jews very justifiably had a great deal of concern over having a safe place to live, given the historical oppressions and slaughters of Jews. Calling that justified concern "paranoia" is insensitive as well as wrong.

[andyfox]

"The aspiration of returning to their homeland was first held by Jews exiled to Babylon some 2,500 years ago."

Why did so many Jews not return, then, to their homeland? Why does New York have the largest Jewish population of any city in the world? Why did Herzl consider Uganda as a possible homeland for the Jews?

I am Jewish, BTW, so no need to tell me I don't understand. Noam Chomsky is Jewish, does he understand?

The Zionist movement posited what Salo Baron called the lachrymose view of Jewish history, that the Jews were always and forever demonized and persecuted. And that the Jews were not affiliated by religious affinities, but rather were a nation. This definition of the Jewish problem and the Jewish people is what led to the posited solution. Which, of course, would have been fine, except for the fact that people had been living in the homeland for the 2,000 years that the Jews had been gone.

[Zeno]

Obviously there is probably more than “one definition” and that each has a different flavor depending on historical roots, whether religious, secular, or a blend of both. And problems arise as to the interpretations of those historical roots. And, also, that each definition is probably colored by the personal views and influences of any one individual. It may be impossible to reach a consensus as to what a Zionist is - almost as impossible as the prevailing problems current in Jerusalem and the surrounding environs.

I did ask an honest question and wanted a clear answer. Perhaps there is none. Without pretense, I want to thank Chris, Andy, and Gamblor for their contributions.

What was lost somewhat is that there is, according to my Oxford, a Christian component to Zionism, or more exactly, to Zion itself, as referring to mother church or the Christian church as a whole.

In addition there is another definition of Zionist:

“2. A member of any of a group of independent Christian Churches in southern Africa similar to Pentecostal churches but having distinctive African elements of worship and belief. “

I suspect that, unfortunately, this post may degenerate into the usually rancor, acrimony, and bitterness that creeps into all posts the have anything to do with Israel, Jews, Arabs, or Palestine etc. I humbly withdraw from any future proceedings.

-Zeno

[Chris Alger]

"and in fact the secularists consulted with the religious"

No, the disputes were bitter and protracted. Zionist pioneers struggled to control the orthodox population of Jerusalem, at times informing on them to the British government and even assasinating them.

"The sages celebrated the bitterness of exile in many a poignant phrase...."

Yet for nearly 2,000 years none of them formed any organization or movement by which Jews would actually return and conquer their "homeland." Zionism 101: it is a modern movement, not an ancient continuous struggle.

"The only Jewish dissenters were the extremely Orthodox...."

E.g., the vast majority of the Jewish population in Palestine and Jerusalem ca. 1890.

"the Torah states that God helps those who help themselves"

No it doesn't. The original phrasing was pagan -- "the gods help those" -- and probably originated in Aesop's fables. Deist Ben Frankling popularized it in Poor Richard's Almanac.