Politically Zionism is the international political movement that originally supported the reestablishment of the homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. Biblically understood Zionism is the return of the Jewish people to Zion, land of Israel; the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. Zionism is one of the several Jewish political movements proposing alternative responses to adaption and the position of the Jews in Europe. Zionism grew quickly and after the Holocaust became the dominant power among Jewish political movements. Israel was established in 1948 as the “homeland for the Jewish people”. The multi-national, worldwide Zionist movement is structured as a representative democracy. Congresses are held every four years and delegates to the congress are elected by the membership. There are five aims of a Zionist today: unity of the Jewish people and the centrality of Israel in Jewish life, ingathering of the Jewish people in its historic homeland, Eretz Israel, through Aliyah from all countries, strengthening of the state of Israel which is based on the prophetic vision of justice and peace, preservation of the Jewish identity through the fostering of Jewish and Hebrew education and of Jewish spiritual and cultural values, and protection of Jewish rights everywhere. The idea of Zionism is organized on the basis of long and continuous association between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. The core of the Zionist ideology is reflected in the principle that the land of Israel is the historical origin of the Jewish people, and in believing that the presence of Jews in any other part of the world is living in exile. Zionism is dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism in all its forms.
Christian Zionism is a belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, is in accordance with Biblical Prophecy. Christian Zionism is also a movement resulting from the Bible, mainly among Gentile Christians, who share this interpretation and this vision of God being faithful to all His covenants. Some Christian Zionists believe that the “ingathering” of Jews in Israel is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus. Many Christian Zionists believe that the people of Israel remain part of the chosen people of God. The role of certain Christians in supporting the establishment of Israel is well known; and it is regarded by some critics as a kind of self-willed fulfillment of prophecy. Some are alarmed by what else Christian Zionists envision being done to bring about the conversion of the Jews and the end of the world.
Zionism relates to fascism in the way that Zionists believe that they are the chosen people of God, just like fascists believe that only the strong and pure bloods can survive in a society. Also, that the Zionist way is the only way and no one can debate it. Zionism only became politicized when forced to face the threat from Fascism. Zionism became more political because of the attention it received from the fascist movement. The Zionists became isolated within the Jewish Community.
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A good and circumspect review!
ReplyDelete(1) Zionism claimed and claims Palestine for the Jews ... but there was and still is a native people living there ... What does that mean for Zionism? What does that mean in the case that the natives try to defend their home violently?
(2) Are there more examples of peoples who were subdued or ethnically cleansed or even annihilated by invading peoples with superior technology, superior firepower, superior organisation? How do we call that?
(3) Hitler: Jewishness are a matter of race, not of religion. As we disagree with him here ... What is a Jew for us? - Is somebody a Jew who was born and raised a Jew but then decided to become a Protestant? Is somebody a Jew who was and is agnostic for all his life?
What is Zionism's definition of a Jew?
(4) Given this definition and the definition of Israel as the national home of the Jews: Is there a chance that Jews and Arab Palestinians can get along in the same nation?
(5) Why do Christians support the expansion of Jews in Palestine beyond the Green Line? You say: according to their reading of the Bible. is that a legitimate reason?
(6) @ your last paragraph: At the beginning the Nazis did not think badly of Zionism. Their aim was: Germany must get rid of all Jews - and so their emigration to Palestine is a good thing. Later, during the war, that changed, and the idea of annihilation replaced the idea of exiling the Jews.
(7) Your last sentence stands alone and unexplained ... Was it Fascism that isolated the Jews - or do you mean the situation today?