Just by turning a few pages of the history of the origins of Zionism, we can uncover its reality, objectives, and the extent of its connection to major colonial powers; circulating within its orbit and implementing its strategies. Then, we gain a real awareness of this phenomenon that we still suffer from its oppression and devastating aggression.
Zionism.. A political movement, not religious
In his important book "The Israel File - A Study of Political Zionism," Roger Charudy explains that we should not confuse two completely different concepts; the concept of religious Zionism and the concept of political Zionism.
Charudy points out that many Jewish mystics often called for "religious Zionism," linking it to the Jewish hope in the coming of the Messiah at the end of days. This religious Zionism led to the pilgrimage to holy places and the formation of religious sects. However, the persecution of Jews by the Catholic monarchs in Spain pushed some of them to migrate and live in Palestine.
Charudy explains that this religious Zionism never faced opposition from Muslims, who consider themselves descendants of Abraham and do not deny their religion. This spiritual Zionism - completely detached from politics, never aimed to establish a state or impose control over Palestine - did not provoke any conflicts between Jews and Arab residents; whether Muslims or Christians.
So where did the problem come from? Charudy mentions that it came from the emergence of "political Zionism" and its intervention! Invented by Theodor Herzl, who began formulating its doctrine in Vienna in 1882 and completed the establishment of its system in 1894 in his book "The Jewish State." He then began implementing it at the first Zionist Congress held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897.
Charudy points out the contradiction between this latter type of Zionism and the earlier type, religious Zionism only; by explaining that Herzl was completely contrary to religious Zionism, as he was a follower of "Atheism" (the doctrine opposing all religions that only recognizes what falls within the realm of tangible experience) and strongly opposed those who understood "Judaism" as one of the heavenly religions.
In this regard, Charudy notes that political Zionism views Jews first and foremost as one nation. Herzl concluded, after studying the issue of Zionism, three key points:
1- Jews form one nation in all countries, regardless of where they live.
2- Jews have always been a target of persecutions in every time and place.
3- Jews cannot assimilate into the fabric of any nation they live in.
Based on this, Herzl concluded the necessity of establishing Jewish states where all Jews from around the world could gather, especially as the nineteenth century was the era of nationalisms, and this Jewish state was simply a form of nationalism in a completely Western style.
An important point here clarifies the nature of this entity that trades in religious claims; that the location where the Zionist state would be established was not of great importance to Herzl. He did not object to establishing it in Argentina, as Baron Hirsch suggested, or in Uganda as suggested by England, or in South Africa. Among the countries where that state could have been established, Herzl preferred Palestine over others; in order to attract the "Zionist lovers" movement and to support the movement by converting the religious current in the direction of his idea despite his lack of belief in it.
Therefore, this entity emerged as a nationalist movement, employing religion and related false claims to achieve political goals.
Zionism.. a dependent movement, not independent
The second truth is that Zionism originated as a dependent movement, not independent; it has always positioned itself in service of major colonial powers, starting from France, then Britain, then America.
Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Masiri explains in his book "The Zionist Ideology - A Case Study in the Sociology of Knowledge" that the Zionist movement is not a nationalist movement that takes root in the land and spreads its branches in the sky, but rather a movement with no basis in reality. Therefore, it roots itself in the air, and can only reach the ground through imperial violence. The idea of "Zionist colonization", just like the idea of "Jewish nationalism", is simply an idea that lacks the elements of life, but relies on imperialism and collaboration with it, it has partially been realized on our Palestinian land.
It is significant that Zionism faced strong opposition from most Jews, especially the bourgeoisie. We can add that this opposition continued until Zionism achieved its success with imperialism, and then proceeded to "invade" Jewish groups. The term "invasion" has been used by more than one Zionist leader. If a true nationalist movement is a movement that rallies the masses to achieve national goals, then Zionism "invaded" the Jewish masses to serve imperial interests!
Al-Masiri points out that the founding fathers of Zionism realized from the beginning the lack of a popular base, and therefore understood the inevitability of the Zionist state's collaboration. Hertzl, throughout his life, tried to show the benefits that would accrue to the British Empire from the establishment of the Zionist state. He wrote, two years before his death, to Lord Rothschild in England, informing him that the Zionist project would support British influence in the eastern Mediterranean by establishing "a large colony consisting of our Jewish people, located at the meeting point of Egyptian interests with Indian/Persian interests".
In another text, Hertzl indicated that the Zionist state would add another rich colony to the empire, and in a later context, it was confirmed that "successors of Hertzl presently try to prove that the Zionist state will add another strong and rich colony or state to the American empire."
Al-Masiri indicates that Zionist writers use several metaphors to express the reality of the entity's "collaboration" with major colonial powers, such as that "Israel" represents: "a military base", "a strategic asset for the United States", "a reliable guard", "an agent for the United States", "the claw of the cat", "a watchdog for American interests in the Middle East", "a watchdog with its head in Washington and its tail in Jerusalem", "Without Israel, America would have to build ten aircraft carriers."
Hertzl, the founder of Zionism, mixed all these elements in his famous metaphor when he said: "We will establish there in Asia a part of a wall to protect Europe, which will be a fortress of Western civilization against barbarism." The irony is that Netanyahu repeated the content of this statement after the "storming of Al-Aqsa" operation, pleading with America and the West!
Zionism.. a dagger in the body of the nation
Therefore, through the two points mentioned above, we uncover the nature of the emergence of Zionism, which carries in its folds a declaration of the goals of this movement born from the womb of colonialism, and perhaps the most prominent of these goals are:
- Safeguarding American and Western interests in this vital region of the world.
- Blocking the possibility of Arab and Islamic renaissance or unity.
- Resolving Europe's chronic headache, the "Jewish problem", by exporting it to others.
Zionism is a smaller colonization guarding the interests of larger colonialism, a poisonous dagger in the body of the nation, trying to impose its ambitions by force at times, and by discussing common interests at other times, but our people are not fooled by these lies.
