Its original focus was to create a Jewish homeland by purchasing land and relocating Jewish emigrants, mostly from eastern Europe, in Palestine, which was at the time part of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks had shown themselves to be more tolerant of Jews (fellow People of the Book) than the Christian nations of Europe had.
Only later, after the trauma and anger of the Holocaust had radicalized many Jews, did Zionism become less about purchase and more about taking. Please recall that the first people to shoot at Zionist Jews attempting to land in Palestine after WWII were not Arab, but British.
There are plenty of Jews who don't appreciate Zionist expansionism. Some of them even live in Israel.
I suppose it's possible for Jews to be anti-Semitic, but it doesn't strike me as likely.
To oppose Israeli expansionism is not equivalent to opposition to Israel's existence, and is certainly not the same as anti-Semitism. For some, it's a package deal. They don't get to define the whole argument, though, especially when so many in Israel itself are still arguing.
Flame » in reply to re: Anti-Zionist
Zionism is a political philosophy that can be traced to mid-19th century Europe.
The whole thread (29 posts)
- "The Disenchanted American"
- re: If the US did not exist
- Again, the astounding memory hole...
- re: If the US did not exist
- Wow I Didn't Realize You Were Anti-Semetic
- I don't see the antisemitisim in Raoul's post.
- re: Wow, I didn't realize you hated me that much
- Anti-Zionist
- re: If the US did not exist