The other day I used a comment from “liberal Zionist” Jon S as a springboard to condemn the colonialist roots of Zionism, and Jon S took exception:
I would like to make some comments and clarifications.
I see that you describe me as a Liberal Zionist. I belong to the Israeli Left, and I’m a socialist, not a liberal. My parents (of blessed memory) were “Labor Zionists”, committed to national renewal and social justice. I actually consider myself to be something of a post-Zionist.
I think that Zionism was justified and necessary and that it achieved its primary objective in 1948 and the subsequent years when the state was established and its existence secured . Waves of immigrants arrived and were absorbed. Then there was the Let-My-People-Go struggle to free the Jews of the USSR. Today there are no more significant Jewish communities who want to come and are prevented from doing so. So maybe it’s time to admit that Zionism as a “movement” has run its course. Furthermore, who can say what the definition of a Zionist is today? I f we use the simple definition – someone who supports the concept of Israel as a Jewish state- then I would have to plead guilty, to being a Zionist.
However in my view, as a movement, Zionism has outlived its usefulness and continues to exist out of organizational and bureaucratic inertia and lazy, dogmatic, concepts. For example, if it was up to me, I would abolish the Jewish Agency and the JNF. I would leave in place the Law of Return, because it represents the essence of Israel as a Jewish state, and I assume that a Palestinian state, in the context of the 2 state solution, would enact its own Law of Return to enable Palestinians who so wish to return, to the Palestinian state.
I’d like to compliment you on the forum itself. I realize that my point of view is outnumbered and anything I write will be pounced on by numerous Anti-Zionists. But at least most of the posters seem to be intelligent and well-informed , the tone is usually civil, and the website is user-friendly.
Thanks for providing the opportunity to have the discussion.
