Acceptance of "Zionism" is no longer as it was before October 7th, since the developments have revealed the true face of it, with heinous massacres and forced displacement. The occupation and its various arms tried to hide it under a facade of victimhood and a fake history. The dangers of this ideology on Palestine, the Middle East, and the world as a whole are being discussed again, with calls to criminalize it and reconsider it. Despite the significant rejection, waves of Zionism are sweeping through parts of the Arab world, affecting those who defend Palestine and its cause. This raises a crucial question: how does the nation confront Zionism?
Zionism, the last stronghold of colonialism
Recently, the phrase "Israel is the advanced fortress of the West in general, and the United States in particular" has been used extensively. The aggression on Gaza highlighted Israel's central position in Western politics, ensuring not only its superiority but also its presence and sovereignty over the Arab and Islamic world.
Regarding the Zionist project and its dangers, Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Masiri describes Zionism as a unique colonialist idea. The occupation is the live expression of this idea, carrying hidden goals that are only revealed after being achieved. This policy has been evident since the beginnings of Zionist settlement in Palestine and continues to this day, waiting for favorable conditions to turn its attacks, settlement activities, and penetration into realities and laws.
How does the nation confront these dangers?
Confronting Zionism involves various levels: starting with a general understanding of this phenomenon, strengthening self-immunity, embracing the Palestinian cause, and eventually engaging the world in every possible way to counter it. The following points outline some of the key steps.
First: Analyzing Zionism and its tools
Given the unprecedented support received by the occupation, it is essential to understand Zionism as a global colonial project and its various tools used to capture land and eradicate any population living on it, whether Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, or Jordanians. It is crucial to grasp the religious rhetoric utilized by Zionism to achieve its colonial goals, intertwining religion with objectives to gain absolute control over "Greater Israel."
Second: Intellectual, cultural, and knowledge resistance
This step is closely tied to the previous one, but it holds particular importance. Analyzing and exposing the phenomenon, revealing its complexities, and tracing its evolution from idea formation to the establishment of the Zionist state show the importance of historically studying this movement. Building a deep cultural and intellectual Arab and Islamic awareness is crucial for confronting the enemy effectively.
Dr. Al-Masiri points out that this renewal allows for the production of a new discourse in confronting Zionism and the state of occupation, which will naturally lead to the collapse of the illusions surrounding Zionism. Especially those that claim that its project is flawless and has achieved complete success, having established the state and achieved all its goals. It also highlights the aspects of achievement that have been realized and the sources of power, as well as pinpointing the weaknesses and pushing towards utilizing and deepening them.
Al-Masiri, may God have mercy on him, emphasizes that Jews are not geniuses or demons, but humans, whose "blood can be shed" and whose projects can be confronted. Additionally, the factors of power, weakness, life, and death are inherent in this entity.
Furthermore, rallying around Palestine and its cause is an urgent and necessary demand that does not expire with time. Its importance does not diminish over time and in the face of the ongoing massacre in the Gaza Strip, it has become a duty, especially since the current battle is fundamentally an attempt to prevent the liquidation of the Palestinian issue and to isolate the occupation and its supporters. Standing with Palestine is therefore a confrontation with Zionism and its project, supporting Palestinian resistance in Gaza and the West Bank is a confrontation with the Zionist projects based on domination, control, and projects aimed at controlling Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa, and Judaization.
In the context of rallying around Palestine, this embrace and support cannot be accomplished in the face of ongoing Arab and Islamic normalization with the occupation, at any level. Normalization allows the occupation to use more pretexts to stay and opens the door for its acceptance within the Arab and Islamic framework. Refusing normalization stems from enmity towards Zionism, principles of supporting Palestine and its resistance, continued exposure of the harms of normalization, its disastrous consequences, and the achievements the occupation has been able to make through these agreements.
Lastly, the aforementioned steps form the initial general framework for confronting Zionism and its dangers. However, a broader and more comprehensive framework is needed, based on crystallizing the Arab and Islamic civilizational project, which draws its vitality and effectiveness from the Quran and Sunnah. It also involves creating interpretative models from the extended Islamic history and building upon these models within the framework of a comprehensive human vision, not only confronting the Zionist colonialist model but also standing as an alternative.
Reclaiming the civilizational status of the Islamic nation allows for presenting a comprehensive human alternative to the current Western dominance. This involves reviving the Islamic cultural identity, enhancing its authentic spirit and contemporary aspects, along with a balanced intellectual discourse that combines the spiritual values of Islam with modern tools.
This important civilizational push is a prerequisite phase for creating an effective international civilization capable of confronting all the challenges facing the nation. It represents the peak of steps to resist Zionist dominance, curb Western domination and its various projects, and transform the nation from a state of weakness and disunity to leading a global liberation project and confronting injustice in Palestine and everywhere, guided by the saying of God: "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." (Al-Imran 103)
