by Nikos Akritas (December 2024)
The idea that Zionism is racism rests on the belief it discriminates against non-Jews, particularly Arabs who lived in what is now Israel prior to 1948. For Zionism’s very raison d’etre is the principle that those adhering to the Jewish faith have the right to settle in Israel, regardless of whether they have any recent ancestry linking them to it (i.e. non-Palestinian Jews). Arabs who had lived on the same land prior to 1948 and left as a result of the conflict do not have the right to return. This is a discrimination of sorts. But it is not Zionism. Zionism is based on the ‘right of return,’ not the right to exclude. The latter is not a tenet of Zionism but a desperate response to a desperate situation.
The decision not to allow Arabs to return was a political decision, not an ideological one. Israel, unlike the countries around it, has not been ethnically cleansed; its population is over 20% Arab. It does not subscribe to the belief in an Arab or Muslim-free territory between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. The same cannot be said of a reverse scenario. The denial of a territorial state for the Jewish people is the real racism at issue. For if other peoples are granted the right to self-determination, why not Jews?
The argument that Israel was created to the detriment of an indigenous community is not unique in the world but there were Palestinian Jews living in the area prior to the British Mandate. The promise of a state for each of the Arab and Jewish Palestinian communities was recognition of the right to self-determination and independence from the Ottoman Empire.
The division of the land into an Arab and a Jewish state is no more racist than was the partition of India and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. All three of these areas had mixed populations of Muslims and non-Muslims. The recognition of the right to self-determination for Muslims resulted in what subsequently became East and West Pakistan. The desire to avoid further atrocities based on notions of ethnicity and religion resulted in the forced population exchange of Christians and Muslims between Greece and Turkey. In each case, religious discrimination had contributed to significant violence and suffering. The very idea of self-determination attempted to tackle such issues. If, therefore, separate states were deemed necessary to protect rights for Muslims, Hindus, and Christians, why should Jewish Palestinians not also have their own state?
To force Palestinian Jews to live in a state dominated by Arab communities left them at the mercy of those communities. If Arabs had a right to independence why not Jews? The Jewish population of Palestine was small and the territory offered it by the 1937 Peel Commission was also small (a fraction of the present state of Israel). The Jews agreed to this tiny piece of land, accepting the rest of Palestine would consist of an Arab state. But their Arab neighbours begrudged them even this. Jews were not to be granted independence, only Arabs. The Peel Commission’s recommendations came to nothing.
Those who deny Jews a state in this area of the world, deny the right to self-determination for Jews. Given the Jewish population of Palestine, how could the denial to self-determination only for this group be anything other than antisemitism? To argue the Jews of Israel prior to 1948 were Zionists who immigrated to the land is to overlook not only the presence of Palestinian Jews but Arab immigration to that land in the same period.
Palestinians in the early 20th century comprised both Arab and Jewish communities. The Jewish community was smaller and hence the Commission’s recommendation of a much smaller territory. But once any territory becomes an independent state, it is that state’s prerogative to decide on its immigration levels.
One cannot claim, as do many ‘anti-Zionists’, they are not against an Israeli state but Zionists who have immigrated into the country (basically all immigrants; half of whom were refugees fleeing Muslim countries and, of the rest, a large amount the horrors of Europe). It is not for outsiders to decide an independent state’s immigration policy. Israel, which would have been a country even smaller than it is now, has its present day borders as a result of continuous attempts to extinguish its existence – the denial of the right to self-determination through genocide.
Denying the right to self-determination purely for Jews is racism. If one concedes the right to self-determination, but then seeks to deny that country the right to let further Jews immigrate to it – effectively denying it the right to exercise sovereign control over its own affairs – on what grounds would that be? Denying a people’s right to immigrate to an independent state that wants them is a right denied nowhere else. It is only Jews who are denied this right. It is discrimination against Jews. The express denial of such a right, known as anti-Zionism, is, then, racism.* Given racism towards Jews is antisemitism … you complete the syllogism.
*I have of course ignored the antizionist assertions of those Ultra-Orthodox Jews, who oppose Zionism for religious reasons. When one bases arguments purely in terms of faith, there is no rational discussion to be had.
Table of Contents
Nikos Akritas has worked as a teacher in the Middle East, Central Asia and the UK.
Follow NER on Twitter @NERIconoclast
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
7 Responses
Israel had to comply with three provisions before it could be admitted to the UN:
1. It had to establish boundaries for the State of Israel.
2. It had to create a constitution for the State of Israel.
3. It had to guarantee Palestinians who were moved out the right of return.
None of the three provsions were ever fulfilled.
Israel is not a member of the UN,
Look it up in the historical documents
Ah the UN, a largely antisemitic organization but unsurprisingly, given around a quarter of its member states are Muslim (which almost by definition means antisemitic, it’s in the Koran and can be looked up).
People usually mistake the UN for some sort of moral authority. It is nothing of the sort. It is merely a talking shop for state representatives to express their views. Given very many of those are authoritarian states and/or have an axe to grind, whether antisemitic (most Muslim countries and very many of those now referred to as the Global South) or anti-Western, one has to take with a pinch of salt its deliberations. One always has to ask themselves when holding Israel to a higher standard than its Muslim neighbours, why is that?
Sinisterly, the UN confers a veneer of democratic legitimacy on its member states by granting them a voice on the global stage, even when the people within many of those states are systematically denied their fundamental human rights (rights which all UN member states agree to honour). Many genocidal regimes have been members of the UN and its predecessor, the League of Nations, but these organisations were set up for a purpose and are required in an anarchical state system.
Give me liberal democracy any day over mere consensus.
The core at the Middle East ‘conflict’ is about anti-Jewish bigotry.
July 27, 2024
https://justsayingitoutloloud.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-core-at-middle-east-conflict-is.html
100+ Years to the lie by those haters who pretend to be “only anti Zionists” (Falastin).
* ON NOV.8.1913 A SHEIKH SULEIMAN AL-TAJI AL-FARUQI [معري فلسطين] WHO HAD PERSONAL CONFLICT WROTE A POEM FULL OF HATE COMBINING OLD RACIST TROPES WITH QURANIC THEMES.
* THE FALASTIN PAPER WAS BANNED IN 1914 FOR INCITING RACIAL HATRED.
* IT WAS REINSTATED
(ARGUING THEY ARE ONLY AGAINST ZIONISTS – SUPPOSEDLY) IN 1921, DESPITE WORRIES OF INCITEMENT AND OF MUFTI’S PROPAGANDA. WEEKS LATER ANTI-JEWISH VIOLENCE SPREAD.
* IN THE 1920S/30S IT WAS USED BY THE MUFTI AS A TOOL.
* IT GLORIFIED HITLER.
Sulaiman, K. A. (1984). Palestine and Modern Arab Poetry. United Kingdom: Zed. p.11:
Shaykh Sulayman al-Taji, a member of the Ottoman Patriotic Party in Jaffa, also contributed to the written exchange with the Jews over land he owned in the area of Tel Aviv. At the end of August 1913, he addressed an open letter to the mutasarrif and the prosecutor general in Jerusalem, which was published in Filastin under the banner “Freedom or Slavery: Justice or Tyranny?” Taji warned that the Jews had almost “conquered” Palestine, and that Jewish settlers near Zarnuqa despised the village and had waited for an opportunity to destroy it, which, in the event, was provided by nothing more than a dispute over a bunch of grapes on the vineyard.
In October, Taji addressed another open letter to the mutasarrif that was distributed in the form of a leaflet, and in November he published a poem, entitled “the Zionist danger” in Filastin. Although Palestine is not mentioned by name, Taji’s repeated references to “our country” and his attacks against the authorities shiw him to be a local patriot first and an Ottoman loyalist second. In his poem, he combined Islamic motifs from the Qur’an and hadith to support his nationalist view, as well as tapping into classic European anti-Semitic tropes.
____
Wistrich, Robert S.. A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad. United Kingdom: Random House Publishing Group, 2010.
Chapter 21 ‘The “Liberation” of Palestine.’:
The Arab case against Zionism during the late Ottoman period was tainted by an anti-Jewishness that had become part of the “daily bread in Palestine,” to quote one prescient observer.
In November 1913,
a prominent leader of the Palestinian anti-Zionist campaign, Sheikh Sulayman al-Taji from Acre, published a poem entitled “The Zionist Danger” in Filastin. It related to Jews as [supposedly] “the weakest [sic. al-Taji] of all peoples and the least of them” who were constantly haggling with Arabs to obtain their land…
_____
Boonstra, J., Jansen, H., Kriesmeyer, J. (1989). Antisemitism, a History Portrayed. Netherlands: SDU / Anne Frank Foundation. p.101:
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
In 1914, the periodical Falastin – with its extremist Arab nationalist slant – was abolished by the Ottoman authorities because of its racist hate propaganda. The periodical had agitated against the immigration of Jewish refugees from Russia.
In the Twenties, the publication reappeared and led campaigns against Jewish immigration.
As a result of anti-Jewish propaganda and terror, the British government took measures between the Twenties and the Forties to restrict Jewish immigration to Palestine.
In 1921, an extremist, pan-Arab nationalist, Haji Amin al-Huseini, was appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, a religious leader.
Three weeks after his appointment, he led a pogrom in which forty-three Jews were murdered.
From the beginning of the Second World War the Mufti led a rebellion of Iraqis, Syrians and Lebanese with support from Nazi Germany against the Allied Forces.
______
Zionism and Arabism in Palestine and Israel (RLE Israel and Palestine). (2015). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. p.8:
Two other incidents in April added to Yishuv anxiety. In Jaffa, citrus-owner. Samuel Tolkowsky complained that Government permission for the reappearance of Falastin, which had been closed down by the Turks for incitement to race-hatred in April 1914, could only be a source of discouragement to ‘moderate’ Arabs and an official invitation to ‘extremists…
______
The Palestine Post, 22 May 1933
“Noble Hitler” — Says “FalPaper.
“Falastin” considers the Jews to be quite in the wrong in their criticism of anti-Jewish acts in Germany. Hitler is [sic] Innocent and Noble, strong and beloved by his people and has succeeded in saving [sic] his country from the vile (sic) Jews.”
The Elders of Zion are also dragged into Falastin’s article . They rule the world and do not like Hitler and are doing all they can to overthrow him, writes the Jaffa paper.
https://www.danielpipes.org/comments/290491
Well argued!
Targeting Jews outside of Israel
No Zionists are aiming at Arabs non terrorists.
And of course nor are Arabs, Muslims and mosques attacked outside of Israel by them.
But Jews, places of worship have been, are being attacked by Arabs. Muslims.
Targeting ultra orthodox
Each and every racist Arab-Muslim attacker (London, Antwerp, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Melbourne, etc.) knows fully well: Haredim, are non Zionists, by in large, object serving in IDF. But this, again, like that fascist Arab who who pulled side-locks and spat in Jerusalem (Nov/2024), proves, everything is about bigotry. So are those ‘swastika palestine’ riots by WOL/SJP. Paid by Iran/Qatar. “Thanks” so much for the UN under the boot of Islamist lobby OIC, and its affiliate ICC who never acted against the real genocidal entity ”palestine” – who uses its civilians. But sure knows to promote PallyWeid slurring.
Nor did it act against chemical Assad whith genocidal Islamic fascist republic of Iran having brought about almost 620,000 dead Syrians.
“Thanks” to Hamas’ hosts: Qatar’s owned media (Al-jazeera – also Hamas linked, Middle.East.Eye) who propagates with false narrative and fake news.
“Thanks” to BBC lies and promoting Hamas’ “info.”
Oh, and “thanks” for that hate-site Haaretz, too [Haaretzism]. “We are just anti zionists.” Right.
It was always about the hate
Just like anti-Jewish hateful poem, antisemitic canard mixing with idea from their Koran, by Sheikh Suleyman Al Farouki al-Taji wrote in Falastin in Nov 1913 masked as “anti zionist.”
The cry: slaughter the Jews (Adbakh / Itbakh al Yahud) coined by al Husseini in early 1920/1.
The 1929 massacre of Hebron pious non-Zionist Jews, accompanied by rapes.
Al Husseini, the Mufti rushed to contact Nazi Germany within 2 months of Hitler rise, Mar 31, 1933, offering to cooperate for nazis, against Democracies.
Apr 1933, joutmalist of ‘Falastin’ and ‘Al Ahram’, Joseph Francis, on behalf of Palestine Arabs seeks the Nazis too.
Sep 1933: “Eissa Bendak, editor of the radical bi-weekly ‘Sawt Al Shaab’ published in Bethlehem, has left for Paris where he will receive instructions from a group of Germans and Arabs on ‘conducting Nazi propaganda’ in Palestine. Bendak was instrumental in organizing the Arab Fascist Party at Bethlehem.”
All major Arab “Palestine” newspapers in the 1930s cheering for Hitler. Then controlled by the British during WW2, but returned to glorifying Nazis and Nazism immediately after.
Emil Ghuri (in his ‘Arab Federation’) on July 7, 1934: “Hitler who the Arabs like very much.”
1935, Arabs in Haifa form Nazi club, ‘Red Moon.’
The 1936 ‘Futuwwa’, by the Husseinis, modeled on Hitler Youth.
Awni Abd Al Hadi in Jan 1937 to Nazi magazine: “Arabs like Nazis.”
New York Times, May 23, 1937: ‘All’ (Arab) Palestine celebrated Muhamnad’s birthday with Hitler pic.
German Consul Walter Doehle in 1937: Arab Palestinians of all types admire Hitler.
March 1940, magazine ‘Pathfinder’: ‘Arabs admire Hitler for his Jew baiting.’
1940-1, Ahmad Shukeiri [al Shukairy,
Shuqayri] would later (1969) write that they cheered and prayed for Hither, the Axis.
Feb 1941, Sari al Sakakini’s poll, 88% of Palestine Arabs support the Axis.
June 1942, the journalist Mr. Cohen reported mist Arabs eceived news of Jews’ fate in Eurooe with open joy
Aug 1942, CIA reported majority of Arabs in Palestine are anti-Jewish, eagerly awaiting General Rommel.
Dec 1944: As the Nazis were already losing all over: ‘Arab Delegation Presents “considerable Donation” to Goebbels in Berlin.’
1946, Ahmad Shukeiri and Jamal Husseini justify the Holocaust and rationalize Goebbels. (This Shukeiri, would some 15 years later, invent the “apartheid” slur Oct/1961. The champion of PallyWeid).
After the war, Hitler’s Mufti (who was also behind Arab-Nazi coup in 1941 Iraq, incited to Farhoud pogrom with other Palestinians such as al-Miqdadi and Zuaiter; intervened against Jewish children to be saved into Israel; broadcast to all Arabs to murder any Jew “wherever they are, this pleases Allah”; mobilized SS Muslim unites, toured concentration camps) – his popularity among Arab Palestine only grew, because of his Nazi activities.
PLO’s Farouq Qaddoumi on Dec 7, 2013: that they supported the Nazis in Ww2 because they were also against the Zionists
1947/8, Jamal Husseini, as speaker, explains Arab rejection of a Jewish State, that it will interrupt Arab homogeneity, (open Arab racism).
1960s-1980s, PLO terror works with Neo nazis.
1960s-1980s, Issa Nakhleh propagates with Neo Nazis.
1980s: Yahya Sinwar, in charge of education in Gaza, distributes many Mein Kampfs to kids.
1982+: Arafat invents the use of human shields on a large scape in Lebanon. The aim, in sacrifice its people – preferably children, is to gather sympathy.
Bloody Yassir Arafat and other “Palestinian” factions: 1987 1st Intifadah, then 2000, the second: the targeting of Jews, massacres, stabbings, suicide bombings, indoctrinating kids to Jihad and hate, sermons step up.
1981, Islamic Republic of Iran founds Hezbollah. A year before Israel enters Lebanon to crush Arafat’s terror attackers .
1979-2024: Iran proves again Islamic bigotry. It has no border or land disputes with Israel. As to supposedly caring for Arabs, it’s actually racist against and oppressing its [Ahwazi] Arabs.
(It is also true, that all Arab Muslim regimes are discriminatory on minorities).
1990s’, Islamic fascist Republic of Iran massacres Jews in Latin Anerica. (Such as: 1994 Argentina and Panana).
2014, ADL survey, 94% of Arab “Palestinians” are anti-Semitic.
2006, 2014, 2021, 2023-2024: human shields factory, ‘dead baby strategy’ only increases. Arab Islamists enjoy propaganda globally. (2023/4: The “health” system controlled by the death cult regime puts out “data”, swallowed by MSM as “facts”).
June 2024, Arab poll: most Arab “Palestinians” support (genocidal) Oct 7 attacks.
PALLYWEID:
FAKE
“apartheidgenocide”
Made
In
PALLYWOOD.
Hyperbolic FAKE drama terminology since Oct 1961 by pro-Hitler Ahmad Shukeiri who wrote that the Arab “Palestinians” celebrated, prayed for Nazis’ victory and had justified the Holocaust in 1946. A default false language: What’s left is to altar definitions and/or reality.
https://archive.ph/zZyYQ/38b909dcdab13c23d9c975a22faddf1dd4894c0a.jpg