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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.[1] Orthodox Jews also consider Zionism a severe violation of Jewish law.[2] 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.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Early Zionism[edit | edit source]
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.[4]
Establishment of the Zionist Entity[edit | edit source]
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.[4]
Other proposed Jewish states[edit | edit source]
From 1658 to 1666, a Jewish colony existed in English Guiana.[5] 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.[6] In 1903, Theodor Herzl proposed the creation of a Jewish state in British East Africa in what is now Kenya.[7]
UN Resolution 3379[edit | edit source]
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.[8][9]
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.[10]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Philip Weiss (2022-08-10). "Israel heads further right: 30-40 percent of young support fascistic Jewish party" Mondoweiss. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ↑ "The Government of Israel Has a Very Serious Antisemitism Problem" (2020-02-21). MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
- ↑ Whitney Webb (2019-07-12). "The Untold Story of Christian Zionism's Rise to Power in the United States" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2022-06-15. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Deconstructing and debunking Zionism" (2019-11-20). Line Struggle Collective. Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
- ↑ Samuel Oppenheim. An Early Jewish Colony in Western Guiana, 1658-1666 (p. 95). American Jewish Historical Society.
- ↑ Michael Feldberg. "Mordecai Manuel Noah" My Jewish Learning. Archived from the original on 2022-06-24. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
- ↑ Alona Ferber (2015-08-15). "1903: Herzl Proposes Kenya (Not Uganda) as a Safe Haven for the Jews" Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
- ↑ "Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination" (1975-11-10). United Nations Bibliographical Information System. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
- ↑ "Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination" (1975-11-10). United Nations Digital Library. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ↑ "Elimination of racism and racial discrimination" (1991-12-16). United Nations Digital Library. Retrieved 2023-11-20.