The History of "Zionism" - It's not just a pejorative tossed around by Jew Haters

[Lord Long Rod]

There’s Zionism, and Then There’s Zionism

Inaccurate language can lead to all sorts of bad results. Among the silliest and most destructive myths derived from bad use of language is the notion that Zionism is some brand-spanking-new concept that was a gift to the Jews since som...

www.americanthinker.com

You can identify a ghoulish Jew-hating fiend right off the bat when they start talking about Zionism (e.g., "Not all Jews are Zionists; I only hate the dirty Zionist Jews, not the Jews generally. DeRp!). To use a neo-Marxist term ("dog whistle"), the word "Zion-ist;-ism" itself is an anti-Semitic dog whistle.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Zionism, antisemitism...same thing

 

[surada]

There’s Zionism, and Then There’s Zionism

Inaccurate language can lead to all sorts of bad results. Among the silliest and most destructive myths derived from bad use of language is the notion that Zionism is some brand-spanking-new concept that was a gift to the Jews since som...

www.americanthinker.com

You can identify a ghoulish Jew-hating fiend right off the bat when they start talking about Zionism (e.g., "Not all Jews are Zionists; I only hate the dirty Zionist Jews, not the Jews generally. DeRp!). To use a neo-Marxist term ("dog whistle"), the word "Zion-ist;-ism" itself is an anti-Semitic dog whistle.

The Palestinians and Zionism: 1897-1948 | Middle East Policy Council

mepc.org

Zionism is just Jewish nationalism on steroids. It's cruel and tragic from it's inception.

At the time of the Basel congress, Arabs represented 95 percent of the population of Palestine and they owned 99 percent of the land.2 Thus it was obvious from the beginning of Zionism that dispossession of the Palestinian majority, either politically or physically, would be an inevitable requirement for achieving a Jewish state. It was not only land that was needed to reach Zionism's goal, but land without another people in the majority.

Since Palestinian Arabs were by far the majority throughout the period up to Israel's establishment as a Jewish state in 1948, the Zionist state could emerge only by denying the majority its rights or by becoming the majority either through immigration or in reducing the number of Palestinians by ethnic cleansing. There was no other way to create a Jewish, rather than democratic, state.3

That the Jewish state was secured in 1948 by the expulsion of the Palestinians should have come as no surprise. Expulsion as Zionism's logical imperative was clearly seen by Herzl as early as June 12, 1895. At the time he was still formulating his ideas about Zionism and confided to his diary: "We shall try to spirit the penniless population [Palestinians] across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it any employment in our own country. Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly."4 Even if this was perhaps the fanciful imagining of a rather romantic personality, as some sympathizers of Herzl contend, its essential imperative was inescapable. This was recognized by most early Zionists, as evidenced by the fact that the theme of expulsion consistently ran through Zionist thought from the very beginning.5

For instance, as early as 1905, Israel Zangwill, an organizer of Zionism in Britain and one of Zionism's top propagandists, who had coined the slogan "a land without a people for a people without a land," acknowledged in a speech in Manchester that Palestine was not a land without people. In fact, it was filled with Arabs: "[We] must be prepared either to drive out by the sword the [Arab] tribes in possession as our forefathers did or to grapple with the problem of a large alien population, mostly Mohammedan and accustomed for centuries to despise us."6 This comment came at a time when there were around 645,000 Muslims and Christians in Palestine and only 55,000 Jews, mainly non-Zionists or anti-Zionists in the Orthodox neighborhoods of Jerusalem and other cities.7

David Ben-Gurion, the man who along with Herzl and Chaim Weizmann was one of the progenitors of Israel, explicitly acknowledged the linkage between Zionism and expulsion: "Zionism is a transfer of the Jews. Regarding the transfer of the Arabs this is much easier than any other transfer."8 Or, as Israeli scholar Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi put it: "While the basic problem confronting Diaspora Jews was to survive as a minority, the basic problem of Zionism in Palestine was to dispossess the natives and become a majority."9

Much attention has been paid to how the early Zionists secured land in Palestine, but relatively little study has focused on the equally essential effort by Zionists to delegitimize and replace the Palestinian majority.10 Without Jewish control, the Zionists concluded they would be no better off than in Europe, where Zionism arose specifically as a way to escape antisemitism, pogroms, the ghetto and minority status.

As former defense minister Ariel Sharon, a leading spokesman of Zionism's right wing, has commented: "Our forefathers did not come here in order to build a democracy but to build a Jewish state."11 A similar view was recently expressed by Labor leader and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin: "I don't believe that for 2,000 years Jews dreamed and prayed about the return to Zion to create a binational state."12 Though the terms are softer, the meaning is the same.
Continued

 

[sparky]

Zionism, antisemitism...same thing

ah......no........~S~

 

[SassyIrishLass]

The Palestinians and Zionism: 1897-1948 | Middle East Policy Council

mepc.org

Zionism is just Jewish nationalism on steroids. It's cruel and tragic from it's inception.

At the time of the Basel congress, Arabs represented 95 percent of the population of Palestine and they owned 99 percent of the land.2 Thus it was obvious from the beginning of Zionism that dispossession of the Palestinian majority, either politically or physically, would be an inevitable requirement for achieving a Jewish state. It was not only land that was needed to reach Zionism's goal, but land without another people in the majority.

Since Palestinian Arabs were by far the majority throughout the period up to Israel's establishment as a Jewish state in 1948, the Zionist state could emerge only by denying the majority its rights or by becoming the majority either through immigration or in reducing the number of Palestinians by ethnic cleansing. There was no other way to create a Jewish, rather than democratic, state.3

That the Jewish state was secured in 1948 by the expulsion of the Palestinians should have come as no surprise. Expulsion as Zionism's logical imperative was clearly seen by Herzl as early as June 12, 1895. At the time he was still formulating his ideas about Zionism and confided to his diary: "We shall try to spirit the penniless population [Palestinians] across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it any employment in our own country. Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly."4 Even if this was perhaps the fanciful imagining of a rather romantic personality, as some sympathizers of Herzl contend, its essential imperative was inescapable. This was recognized by most early Zionists, as evidenced by the fact that the theme of expulsion consistently ran through Zionist thought from the very beginning.5

For instance, as early as 1905, Israel Zangwill, an organizer of Zionism in Britain and one of Zionism's top propagandists, who had coined the slogan "a land without a people for a people without a land," acknowledged in a speech in Manchester that Palestine was not a land without people. In fact, it was filled with Arabs: "[We] must be prepared either to drive out by the sword the [Arab] tribes in possession as our forefathers did or to grapple with the problem of a large alien population, mostly Mohammedan and accustomed for centuries to despise us."6 This comment came at a time when there were around 645,000 Muslims and Christians in Palestine and only 55,000 Jews, mainly non-Zionists or anti-Zionists in the Orthodox neighborhoods of Jerusalem and other cities.7

David Ben-Gurion, the man who along with Herzl and Chaim Weizmann was one of the progenitors of Israel, explicitly acknowledged the linkage between Zionism and expulsion: "Zionism is a transfer of the Jews. Regarding the transfer of the Arabs this is much easier than any other transfer."8 Or, as Israeli scholar Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi put it: "While the basic problem confronting Diaspora Jews was to survive as a minority, the basic problem of Zionism in Palestine was to dispossess the natives and become a majority."9

Much attention has been paid to how the early Zionists secured land in Palestine, but relatively little study has focused on the equally essential effort by Zionists to delegitimize and replace the Palestinian majority.10 Without Jewish control, the Zionists concluded they would be no better off than in Europe, where Zionism arose specifically as a way to escape antisemitism, pogroms, the ghetto and minority status.

As former defense minister Ariel Sharon, a leading spokesman of Zionism's right wing, has commented: "Our forefathers did not come here in order to build a democracy but to build a Jewish state."11 A similar view was recently expressed by Labor leader and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin: "I don't believe that for 2,000 years Jews dreamed and prayed about the return to Zion to create a binational state."12 Though the terms are softer, the meaning is the same.
Continued

Go gettem "Christian '

 

[surada]

Go gettem "Christian '

They have to get rid of the Palestinian majority to have a Jewish state or they are bo better off than they were in Europe.

The Palestinians and Zionism: 1897-1948 | Middle East Policy Council

mepc.org

 

[my2¢]

Zionism: a movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. It was established as a political organization in 1897 under Theodor Herzl, and was later led by Chaim Weizmann.

Antisemitism: hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.

Two separate things. One political, one religious.

 

[Lord Long Rod]

Zionism: a movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. It was established as a political organization in 1897 under Theodor Herzl, and was later led by Chaim Weizmann.

Antisemitism: hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.

Two separate things. One political, one religious.

You should read the linked article.

 

[Lemmi]

If Zionism means defending Jews from Hamas and Hezbollah then I'm all for it. Go you mighty Zionists!

 

[DudleySmith]

Zionism is past tense now; the Israeli state has existed since 1948. 'Zionist' is no longer a descriptive word. It's like calling Virginians or Boston residents 'colonists'.

 

[surada]

Zionism: a movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. It was established as a political organization in 1897 under Theodor Herzl, and was later led by Chaim Weizmann.

Antisemitism: hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.

Two separate things. One political, one religious.

The Palestinians and Zionism: 1897-1948 | Middle East Policy Council

mepc.org

 

[surada]

Zionism is past tense now; the Israeli state has existed since 1948. 'Zionist' is no longer a descriptive word. It's like calling Virginians or Boston residents 'colonists'.

Don't kid yourself.

They want a Jewish state not a democracy. Nothing has changed. They are terrified that otherwise it could be like they were still in Europe.

They have to get rid of the Palestinians.

The Palestinians and Zionism: 1897-1948 | Middle East Policy Council

mepc.org

 

[my2¢]

You should read the linked article.

Not much new there. The Old Testament of the Bible lays it out pretty well.

 

[DudleySmith]

Don't kid yourself.

They want a Jewish state not a democracy. Nothing has changed. They are terrified that otherwise it could be like they were still in Europe.

They have to get rid of the Palestinians.

The Palestinians and Zionism: 1897-1948 | Middle East Policy Council

mepc.org

And so what? Arabs have tried to turn it into an Islamic shithole several times, so tough shit, they lost and now it's a Jewish majority state. they can snivel all they want, nobody cares.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Israel is the US of the Middle East.
It’s that simple.
Iran can explain.

 

[Kruska]

Zionism: a movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. It was established as a political organization in 1897 under Theodor Herzl, and was later led by Chaim Weizmann.

Antisemitism: hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.

Two separate things. One political, one religious.

Slight correction - Zionism in it's creation and formulation did NOT behold the "idea" of a Jewish State in Palestine. Initial locations for such a 'territory" were Madagascar, Dutch-Guyana, Australia and e.g. Sinai - for the latter, Zionists offered £ 20 million (in today's value around US$ 4 billion). That offer however was rejected by the Ottomans.

In 1915 the British had promised the Arabs (factually only Bedouins) and Egypt to allow them to create their own nations onto liberating, Ottoman held territory. (Which also included Palestine and the later Jordan). The Palestinians as such (A foremost urban concentrated, Semitic population group, intermixed with Europeans and Christians) - were never asked nor involved in any discussions. Due to their ethnicity and cultural "distinction"- towards Bedouins, the latter and also the British, never bothered about "Palestinian interests".

The ultimate focus onto Palestine by the Zionists only came into play - due to the Brits having gained control over Palestine - therefore the Balfour-Declaration of 1917.

For the sake of interest - does T. Edward Lawrence - in his book "Lawrence of Arabia" mention or refer to Palestinians as such or their distinction towards Bedouins? Maybe it was a British trait to overlook such "minor" issues and simply call everyone an "Arab".

In contrast the French mandated territories - e.g. Lebanon and Syria - the French made clear distinctions - between Bedouins, and "Arabs" (aka Seljuk derived Muslims living foremost in urban areas), Kurd's and especially LEBANESE - the latter essentially being, what the Palestinian group represented in former British-Palestine.

 

[Pastelli]

Jamal Huusseini, Hitler's Mufti's nephew, who already, in 1933, had ordered 10 Mein Kampf books, and with his uncle had founded in 1936 the Hitler-Youth modeled Futuwwa, was exiled in 1937 for his incitenent, and had helped the Mufti in 1941 pro-Nazi coup in Iraq - arrested in 1942, had met the Mufti who directed him in August 1946 to reject partition (NYT, Aug 9, 1946)- as he served as VP of the Arab Higher Committee (AHC).

That, weeks after he, and Ahmad Shukeiri [Shuqayri / Shukairy] justified the Holocaust reported July 1946.

The explanation by Jamal rejectjon was pure
Arab supremacy, Arab racism.

 

[surada]

Slight correction - Zionism in it's creation and formulation did NOT behold the "idea" of a Jewish State in Palestine. Initial locations for such a 'territory" were Madagascar, Dutch-Guyana, Australia and e.g. Sinai - for the latter, Zionists offered £ 20 million (in today's value around US$ 4 billion). That offer however was rejected by the Ottomans.

In 1915 the British had promised the Arabs (factually only Bedouins) and Egypt to allow them to create their own nations onto liberating, Ottoman held territory. (Which also included Palestine and the later Jordan). The Palestinians as such (A foremost urban concentrated, Semitic population group, intermixed with Europeans and Christians) - were never asked nor involved in any discussions. Due to their ethnicity and cultural "distinction"- towards Bedouins, the latter and also the British, never bothered about "Palestinian interests".

The ultimate focus onto Palestine by the Zionists only came into play - due to the Brits having gained control over Palestine - therefore the Balfour-Declaration of 1917.

For the sake of interest - does T. Edward Lawrence - in his book "Lawrence of Arabia" mention or refer to Palestinians as such or their distinction towards Bedouins? Maybe it was a British trait to overlook such "minor" issues and simply call everyone an "Arab".

In contrast the French mandated territories - e.g. Lebanon and Syria - the French made clear distinctions - between Bedouins, and "Arabs" (aka Seljuk derived Muslims living foremost in urban areas), Kurd's and especially LEBANESE - the latter essentially being, what the Palestinian group represented in former British-Palestine.

Bedouin,? Most Palestinians were townies. Bedouin moved throughout the year from Saudi Arabia to Palestine. They were not counted in the census.

 

[Kruska]

Bedouin,? Most Palestinians were townies. Bedouin moved throughout the year from Saudi Arabia to Palestine. They were not counted in the census.

Hmm...?

I had stated:

The Palestinians as such (A foremost urban concentrated, Semitic population group, intermixed with Europeans and Christians) - were never asked nor involved in any discussions. Due to their ethnicity and cultural "distinction"- towards Bedouins, the latter and also the British, never bothered about "Palestinian interests".

 

[Moonglow]

There’s Zionism, and Then There’s Zionism

Inaccurate language can lead to all sorts of bad results. Among the silliest and most destructive myths derived from bad use of language is the notion that Zionism is some brand-spanking-new concept that was a gift to the Jews since som...

www.americanthinker.com

You can identify a ghoulish Jew-hating fiend right off the bat when they start talking about Zionism (e.g., "Not all Jews are Zionists; I only hate the dirty Zionist Jews, not the Jews generally. DeRp!). To use a neo-Marxist term ("dog whistle"), the word "Zion-ist;-ism" itself is an anti-Semitic dog whistle.

I noticed you talked about Zionism right off the bat.