Zionism is a political movement whose objective was to create a new Jewish State in Palestine. A recent article in the Canadian Jewish News explores an interesting phenomenon – Canadian Jews who believe in a Jewish State, but don’t want to be called Zionists. Read more.
When sociologist Robert Brym published his research paper on Canadian Jewry in November 2024, his findings made headlines – barely half of Canadian Jews said they called themselves Zionists!!
Anti-Zionists took heart. They were encouraged to learn that rejection of Zionism had become widespread in the Jewish community. It appeared to indicate a massive swing in the Canadian Jewish population against Israel – horrified by its ongoing genocide in Gaza, and reports about further ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
Whoops – not so fast! It appears that 94% of Canadian Jews also say they support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. and nearly that many had a strong or somewhat strong emotional attachment to Israel.
The common understanding of Zionism is support for the creation and continued existence of a Jewish State in or on land known as “Mandate Palestine” before the creation of Israel. How can so many Jews support Israel but don’t want to be called Zionists?
What is Zionism?
Not all Zionists agree on what the borders of the Jewish State should be.
- Some Zionists think that having 3/4 of Mandate Palestine is enough and that Palestinians should be allowed to create a state on the remaining 25% in the West Bank and Gaza. This view is called “liberal zionism”. This view is very marginal in Israel but is quite popular among Canadian Jews. This is the basis of the “Two State Solution”.
- Other Zionists think ALL of what was Palestine belong to Israel. They are in favour of resettling Gaza and annexing the West Bank too. This is the majority opinion amongst Israeli Jews. No Jewish member of the Israeli Knesset supports the idea of a Palestinian state. This is a minority opinion among Canadian Jews, however.
- Finally, some Zionist extremists advocate a “greater Israel” which would go even further to include parts of surrounding countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.” Prime Minister Netanyahu and many members of his cabinet hold this view.
But they all agree with the fundamental Zionist idea of a Jewish State in Palestine.
“Liberal Zionists shy away from the word Zionist”
Most Canadian Jews are in the “liberal zionist” camp – supporting the Zionist idea of a Jewish State but willing to allow Palestinians some land for a state of their own. So, how can they say they reject “Zionism” but still support its goals?
Why are they uncomfortable with being known as “Zionists”?
“The main reason that 49% of Jews were saying that they’re not prepared to call themselves Zionist is because the word Zionism has (… ) become, among a very wide circle of people, including Jews, a pejorative term”, argues Professor Brym in a recent interview in the Canadian Jewish News.
“The meaning of Zionism has changed over time,” continues Brym. “It’s now a negative for many, people. Jews don’t want to be part of the negative. They don’t want to call themselves Zionists. But they are Zionists by the dictionary or encyclopedia definition of the term.”
It seems that the word “Zionism” has become toxic even to many Jews. Whence a new category of Zionist – the “secret Zionist”.
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There has been a long running campaign to defame Zionism, of which CTIP has been an enthusiastic supporter. When Ali Abumineh came to Ottawa he spent the evening explaining what Zionism is. According to him, Zionism is a project to impose Apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide on the Palestinians.
I told him that night that his definition of Zionism bears no resemblance to the Zionism that I have adhered to for my entire life. He mocked me at the time, but I am still a supporter of what you define explain here to be Liberal zionism.
Part of why Jews don’t want to be called Zionists, is that some of them have been misled into thinking Zionism is what Ali Abumineh told us it is.
In fact, as you admit in this article, Zionism is the belief that Jews have a right to sovereignty in part of historic Palestine. Although the word Zionism may have been made toxic, the support of Zionism in its real meaning among Jews is strong. The Zionist movement today is defined by adherence to the Jerusalem program.
It should come as not surprise that if you tell people that a movement is genocidal or apartheid, that people will say that they don’t support that. I’m a Zionist and I don’t support Apartheid or genocide.
It’s a kind of verbal sleight of hand to redefine a word in toxic terms and then use it to smear people who adhere to the non-toxic original meaning of the word.
For those who may be interested in understanding the real meaning of Zionism the Jerusalem platform is pasted below, taken from the web site of the World Zionist Organization:
THE JERUSALEM PROGRAM IS THE OFFICIAL PLATFORM OF THE WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION AND THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT
Zionism, the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, brought about the establishment of the State of Israel and views a Jewish, Zionist, democratic, and secure State of Israel to be the expression of the common responsibility of the Jewish people for its continuity and future.
The foundations of Zionism are:
The unity of the Jewish people, its bond to its historic homeland Eretz Yisrael, and the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its capital, in the life of the nation.
Aliyah to Israel from all countries and the effective integration of all immigrants into Israeli society.
Strengthening Israel as a Jewish, Zionist, and democratic state and shaping it as an exemplary society with a unique moral and spiritual character, marked by mutual respect for the multi-faceted Jewish people, rooted in the vision of the prophets, striving for peace and contributing to the betterment of the world.
Ensuring the future and the distinctiveness of the Jewish people by furthering Jewish, Hebrew, and Zionist education, fostering spiritual and cultural values, and teaching Hebrew as the national language.
Nurturing mutual Jewish responsibility, defending the rights of Jews as individuals and as a nation, representing the national Zionist interests of the Jewish people, and struggling against all manifestations of anti-Semitism.
Settling the country as an expression of practical Zionism.
Hey David,
thank you for your contribution and for your spirited defense of Zionism.
The creation of the State of Israel, as a Jewish State required the expulsion or elimination of most of the Palestinians. There was no nice way to do that, as Palestinians were bound to resist as Ze’ev Jabotinsky predicted.
If there had been an “empty” place in the world, the creation of a new State for European Jews wouldn’t have been a problem. But in 1947, there was no such place in the world.
Zionists decided that their needs were more important than those of the Palestinians.
To its disgrace, the UN accepted the Zionist view, and approved the project.