In light of the intense and unprecedented conflict between the Arab and Islamic world on one side and the Zionist entity on the other, all weapons must be employed in these battles. These weapons are not limited to those involving bullets and fire, but also include a fierce struggle in the intellectual, cultural, and knowledge domains. This is especially true given the growing theoretical perspectives strongly advocating the intellectual arguments about the end of "Israel" and the collapse of the Western moral and civilizational order, especially in light of the decisive Gaza test. This collapse has exposed the hypocritical and imperial racist face of many Western institutions and governments, revealing that they disregard principles, laws, and norms when the other side does not belong to their narrow ethnic and sectarian affiliations. These laws were primarily established to serve the powerful and reinforce their interests.
Zionism: Origins and Fate
Dr. Abdelwahab Elmessiri, in his renowned encyclopedia "Jews, Judaism, and Zionism," highlights the use of the term "Zionist project" in Arab political discourse as a reference to the Zionist plot to occupy Palestine, expel its inhabitants, and dominate them. Sometimes, it is also viewed as an endless Jewish conspiracy. The idea of establishing a Jewish entity, later transformed into a Zionist one, was accepted early on by several European leaders, most notably Napoleon in 1799, followed by British Prime Minister Palmerston in 1837. This acceptance paved the way for the establishment of the Zionist movement, with British encouragement, culminating in the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1917.
The structural crisis of the Zionist project stems from its foundation on a discriminatory and apartheid system that cannot be sustained
According to Elmessiri, the Zionist idea is based on three main components:
- Establishing "Greater Israel" from the Nile to the Euphrates as a strategic goal to be implemented in stages.
- Achieving this project through expansionist settler wars, forcibly expelling the region's inhabitants and replacing them with Jews.
- Avoiding the creation of a traditional constitution for the state to prevent the delineation of clear boundaries, allowing for ongoing expansion to achieve the "Greater Israel" project.
The structural crisis of the newly established Zionist state arises from its foundation on definitive racial segregation, leading to a continuous armed struggle between the land's original inhabitants and the imposed settlers. Additionally, the expansionist ideology, which is now unrealistic given the stable borders of surrounding states, presents a Zionist dilemma that can be exploited by continuously exposing the extremist ideas and plans underlying the Zionist project, which are hostile to all international laws and norms.
Zionism: Between Nazism and Imperialism
Despite Zionist propaganda efforts to portray Zionism as a reactionary movement by Jews to defend themselves against persecution in Europe, particularly under Nazi Germany, and to promote Zionism as a Jewish self-defense and liberation from oppression, a comparison of Zionism on both the ideological and practical levels clearly reveals the similarities, to the point of near-identicality, between Zionism and Nazism. Both ideologies negate the existence of the other, uphold force as the highest value, claim superiority based on racial and religious grounds, and derive moral and ethical standards internally, with no regard for any external values or norms, even those agreed upon by other nations, as long as these nations are not Zionist.
Furthermore, the Zionist settler project should be understood within the context of the broader Western imperialist project, which has nurtured and supported Zionism since the 19th century. This project aimed to rid Europe of Jews who could not fully integrate into European societies, leading to social conflicts and growing public rejection of Jewish communities.
Simultaneously, these communities were to be used to serve the imperialist project globally by establishing a permanent Western presence in the Arab and Muslim world—a presence that acts as a "policeman" wielding the West's baton against Arabs and Muslims. This ensures the West's continued dominance by keeping the Arab and Muslim world embroiled in sectarian and religious conflicts, sowing division and fragmentation across the region.
The Islamic elite must critique Zionism as an existential intellectual threat to humanity, ethics, and values
This becomes evident today through the division of the Islamic world into two camps: one allied with "Israel" and the other opposing it. This division is being exploited day by day to reinforce the Sunni-Shiite conflict, with the Shiites presenting themselves as a resistance axis against "Israel," while the Sunni axis is portrayed as an ally and supporter of "Israel."
Intellectual Resistance
The ongoing conflict necessitates that the intellectual elite of the Arab and Islamic worlds take the initiative to raise global awareness of Zionism, not by resorting to traditional sectarian criticism through the "Islam-Judaism" or "East-West" dichotomy, but by adopting a renewed approach that expands the scope of Zionism's critique. Zionism should be viewed as an existential threat to humanity, ethics, values, and principles. This can be done by employing strategies that open up to internal Jewish criticism of Zionism and by networking with Jewish diaspora activists who oppose Zionism. Framing the Islamic opposition to Zionism as merely an extension of opposition to Judaism restricts the conflict to the realm of religion, which serves "Israel’s" interests by portraying itself as a Jewish state besieged by a vast number of extremist Muslims.
Moreover, highlighting Zionism within its broader intellectual context and emphasizing its birth within Western imperialism, while exposing its role in maintaining Western dominance over the Arab and Muslim worlds, helps to redefine Zionism as a nationalist and imperialist ideology. This approach strips Zionism of its religious pretensions, which it uses to manipulate emotions, and helps to better understand the broader "Israeli"-Western and especially American relationships, as that settler state serves political and economic interests by proxy. This understanding also explains the blatant biases of many Western countries toward that settler state, allowing for a more conscious and informed response to these biases.
The current conflict offers Arab intellectuals a crucial opportunity, given the internal political and ideological conflicts that are shaking the fragile balance and stability within "Israeli" society. This presents a chance for intellectual exploitation by exposing the deviations and flaws of the Zionist project, and highlighting its inhumane values that are unsustainable.
Finally, the intellectual struggle is no less important than the military struggle in defeating the enemy. Understanding the other side’s motivations, values, principles, and knowledge foundations is essential to managing a conflict rooted in awareness, equality, and effectiveness, far from populist slogans that ultimately serve the other side more than they serve the cause.
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