Zionism
From RationalWiki
Zionism was the movement to create a political and geographic nation-state for the Jewish people, so that they could escape the persecution and anti-Semitism that was so prevalent throughout Europe at the time. In this way, Zionism was an expression of Jewish nationalism, though the two should not be considered identical. Most forms of Zionism focused on creating a state in the land that is now Israel, since that land had strong symbolic meaning for the Jewish people. However, many sites were considered, including modern-day Uganda. The movement was named for Mt. Zion, the mountain that Jerusalem was built on.
Zionism in some circles (especially on the Internet) can also refer to the ideas that Jews should not be killed or that Israel is justified in taking necessary measures to ensure its own survival.
[edit] History
The movement originated in 19th century Europe with Serbian/Hungarian Jewish journalist Theodor Herzl, and was originally a secular movement devoted to providing a home for cultural Jews, possibly in the wake of the French Affaire Dreyfus. The British Empire controlled much of Palestine and Trans-Jordan at the time. The Balfour Declaration gave hope to many Zionists that a Jewish state would be carved out of the Middle East, giving western Palestine to the Jews, and Trans-Jordan to the Arabs. Other political forces took hold, however.
The British, needing to maintain a favorable relationship with the Arab peoples in Palestine/Trans-Jordan, put stringent restrictions on Jewish immigration. Jews living in displaced persons camps were smuggled into Palestine by the Aliya Bet (or "informal" immigration service). As populations shifted, frictions increased between the Arabs and Jews in Palestine.
After World War II and the Holocaust, many of the Allied powers felt that it was a good idea to grant a stretch of land to the Jewish people, and so the modern state of Israel was founded. (It should be noted that BOTH the United States and the Soviet Union were quick to diplomatically recognize the new state.) The Arabic Palestinian population, lacking advocates among the major Western powers, considered this to be Western imperialism, and over the next twenty years relations deteriorated rapidly between Israel and its surrounding countries, coming to a head in the 1967 Six-Day War and flaring up again several times, most notably the 1990s Al-Aqsa intifada, triggered by Israeli military hero and future Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unauthorized entry onto the Muslim-controlled Temple Mount. Zionism's intent was idealism and sanctuary; its legacy has been one of violence, controversy, and hate propaganda.
Since that time, Zionism and Zionist have become snarl words in some circles. While some legitimate criticism can be made of both the Zionist goals and methods, the term has since been stretched beyond its original meanings. Many conspiracy theories, particularly ones that revolve around the supposed "New World Order," frequently refer to a "Zionist conspiracy" or efforts to set up a "Zionist government." These people will often claim that "Zionists" control the United States, which goes so far beyond the call of what Zionists actually want as to be laughable. In many of these cases, it is obvious that "anti-Zionism' is just a weasel word for anti-Semitism. It is to be noted, however, that one can make a direct challenge to Zionist ideals (political) and not be anti-Semitic. One crosses the line when facts are replaced with ingrained hatred.
[edit] Zionism and Nazism
There are many people who have started claiming that Zionism is equivalent to Nazism. This is fairly laughable when one considers that Zionists were trying to secure ONE state for Jewish people, whereas Nazis were attempting to exterminate and subjugate all other nations. Besides, Godwin's Law.
