I am a Zionist - And it is Not Racism or Extremism

“I am a Zionist”, I replied to an Israeli friend in answer to the question, “why do you live in Israel?” “So you’re right-wing”, was then thrown back at me in an accusatory tone.  “Why would you say that,” I shot back.   And as far as I am concerned therein lies the problem.

The Zionist mantle has been hijacked.  Zionism is now perceived as synonymous with “right-wing” where somehow the settler and messianic movements in Israel have appropriated, not to mention perverted; the term.  This attempt at hijack is perhaps not that surprising given the right-wing’s obsession with real estate.

Today I find that many of my friends, who like myself made a conscious choice to live in Israel, mostly for ideological reasons; find the term Zionist somewhat uncomfortable, finding it hard to define themselves as Zionist, due to the right wing connotations the word evokes in today’s Israel.  

Many feel lost, frustrated and worst of all powerless to stop what they see as the perversion of their ideals and the subsequent disintegration of civil society in Israel.

The answer my friends is to take Zionism back.  More than ever it is time to stand up and declare that “I am a proud Zionist!”.

I am an unapologetic idealist and believe Zionism to be a positive element.   I love Israel and passionately believe in the Zionist dream as envisioned by Herzl and Ben Gurion, as set out in our declaration of independence where, to remind those who may have forgotten or who would seek to pervert and destroy the Zionist dream…

“The Stae of Israel will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. ” 

The principles of Zionism are enshrined in our declaration of independence.  True Zionism is not just wholly compatible with modern democracy, human rights, equality, justice and peace, it promotes these ideals and embodies them at its core.

The attempt by right-wing, real estate obsessed, anti democrats and religious zealots to appropriate and pervert Zionism must be stopped in its tracks.  We need to restore Zionism to its rightful place at the epicentre of Israeli society and use the core ideals of Zionism as the benchmarks for both social and political debate in this country.

Extremism is not Zionism and Zionism is not extremism!

Israel is floundering today because we have lost our way.  We allowed extremists to steal our very identity.

It is time to take it back!