Anti-Zionism - Protecting the Jewish People

According to anti-Zionist proponents, the Jews in ancient times were sent into exile from the Holy Land because they had failed to fulfil their obligations to God, a fact which is acknowledged in Jewish prayers (umipnei chatoeinu golinu meartzeinu). They were also expressly told not to bring about their redemption without God’s assistance and not to rebel against their host nations. Instead, Jews are commanded to pray for the wellbeing of their governments. The Torah Devorim (30:1) states that the Jewish people will be gathered by God from around the world and returned to the Holy Land. Further prophetical examples can be found in Zachariah (8:7-8) and Yirmiyah (31:7), amongst others. The Zionist movement therefore contravenes these beliefs and assigns Jews a nationalistic character which had never before existed. The nationalist ideology of the Zionist Jewish immigrants to the British Mandate of Palestine was always rejected by the Orthodox community living in the Holy Land. When the Zionists rose to power in the newly formed State of Israel, the Orthodox community feared an escalating conflict with local Muslims and that Jewish identity would cease to base itself solely upon adherence to the Torah. As such, they were unfortunately confronted with the choice of accepting the Zionist State or fleeing the land on which their ancestors had settled.

With this in mind, I do not contest the legitimacy of the Israeli State but I do question its appropriateness. Firstly, and historically, assigning nationhood to the Jewish people of the world wrongly supposes that these people regulate their collective existence in much the same way as all other nations. Yet the transnational composure of the Jewish population as well as the religious commandment to support their host nations’ governments inevitably refutes the possibility of conventional nationhood existing amongst the various Jewish communities of the world. If nationhood is to be based solely upon religious, cultural or linguistic identities then the international Roma gypsy community would therefore most certainly qualify as a nation and perhaps be entitled to self-determination and the right to a homeland. Secondly, as already stated, the concept of the current Israeli State is inappropriate as Zionism disregards the heavenly redemption mentioned in the Torah. Furthermore, in order to exist and continue flourishing, Israel has relied on a continuous influx of Jewish immigrants from around the globe. Anti-Zionists have recognised that Zionism has aided anti-Semitism in the removal of entire Jewish communities from certain countries to Israel. Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, wrote on page 19 of his diaries, "Anti-Semites will become our surest friends, anti-Semitic countries our allies."

More importantly, however, compelling the Jewish people to seek refuge in Israel must come to an end as it is their international presence which has protected them from complete annihilation throughout history. Amassing this people in the region which is the most hostile and intolerant of religious freedom and human rights in the world is a misguided objective that lacks good judgment, particularly at a time when Israel’s neighbours are becoming increasingly radical. Jewish proposals to reconstruct the Holy Temple in Jerusalem on its original site on Temple Mount will always be impeded by the Muslim community and the presence of two of Islam’s holiest sites, the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Evidently therefore, the Jewish people do not have complete freedom in their homeland. I agree with the anti-Zionists that a Jewish state is largely unnecessary, as the Jewish people have enriched the West in many ways and their presence is something we should actively strive to retain. If a Jewish territory is deemed necessary however, I propose that a new one be found in the Americas, far from uncivilised states that frequently threaten Jewry. The Jewish Autonomous Oblast in Russia is an example of such a territory, albeit one of very limited success. Allocating uninhabited territory to the Jewish cause in the Americas would yield far greater results due to the continents' respect for human rights and the great distance from any menacing cultures and regimes.