Zionism

Zionism shares many similarities with Nazism and seeks to settler-colonize lands for the benefit of its "master race"

Zionism (from Zion, a word in the Tanach referring to the Land of Israel) is a racist, ethno-nationalist, and settler colonial ideology which asserts that Jews are a nation and calls for the creation and maintenance of a Jewish ethnostate. The movement first emerged in the late-19th Century in response to antisemitism, which was particularly prevalent in Europe. Zionists made attempts to set up a Jewish state in many places, perhaps most infamously in British East Africa (see the Uganda Scheme), but they ultimately settled on the Levant due to its historical and religious significance as the homeland of the Jewish people.

On 14 May 1948, the British Mandate of Palestine under the League of Nations was terminated. That same day, the so-called "State of Israel" declared its independence, claiming 56% of the territory of Palestine as its own. The Zionist Entity waged a genocidal war against the native Palestinian population, and three-quarters of the indigenous population (around 750,000 people) were expelled from or made to flee their homes in an event known as the Nakba. Those very same Palestinians along with their descendents are denied to this day the right of return to the land which was stolen from them and settled on by Jewish colonists, and Palestinians experience segregation and discrimination in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and "Israel" proper.

Many Jewish people oppose Zionism, and 38% of Statesian Jews under 40 years old acknowledge that the Zionist Entity is an apartheid state. Orthodox Jews also consider Zionism a severe violation of Jewish law. Most Zionists are not Jews but rather Christians. There are more than 20 million evangelical Christian Zionists in the United States. The largest Zionist organization in the U.S. is Christians United for Israel, which has 7 million members.

History

Early Zionism

Before being adopted by Jews, Zionism was first proposed by European Christians. In the 16th century, English clergyman Thomas Brightman proposed that the Jewish diaspora return to Jerusalem. In the late 18th century, Austrian field marshal Charles-Joseph of Ligne said that the Jews should be returned to their homeland.

Zionism became more popular among Jewish people in the 19th century due to increased antisemitism in Europe and Russia. In 1897, Theodor Herzl founded the World Zionist Organization. At the end of the First World War, the British claimed former Ottoman territories, including Palestine. Evangelical Protestants encouraged Jews to leave Europe and settler migration into Palestine began. From 1936 to 1939, Arabs revolted against the British and the settlers. In 1939, the British restricted further Jewish immigration into Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations created a plan to partition Palestine into two independent states with a neutral Jerusalem.

Establishment of the Zionist Entity

Colonization of Palestine from 1947 to 2005

Zionists started a war against Palestinians in 1947 and the State of "Israel" was established in 1948. The Zionist Entity expelled 700,000 Palestinians from their land in an event known as the Nakba.

Other proposed Jewish states

From 1658 to 1666, a Jewish colony existed in English Guiana. In 1825, Mordecai Manuel Noah founded a Jewish city on Grand Island, New York. It never succeeded and the island was sold to a timber investor in 1833. In 1903, Theodor Herzl proposed the creation of a Jewish state in British East Africa in what is now Kenya.

UN Resolution 3379

On 10 November 1975, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution declaring Zionism to be a form of racism and racial discrimination. It passed with 72 votes for, 32 against, and 35 abstentions.

On 16 December 1991, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution revoking the determination contained in resolution 3379, with 111 votes for, 25 against, and 13 abstentions.

See also

• Lebensraum
• Manifest Destiny
• Ethno-nationalism