May 15, 2024
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What is Zionism?

Zionism is a political and nationalist movement that emerged in the late 19th century, advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the historic territory of Israel, known as Zion. The movement was largely a response to the persecution and discrimination faced by Jewish communities in Europe and elsewhere.

The term "Zionism" comes from Zion, which is a biblical term for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. The idea of returning to Zion has deep historical and religious significance for Jewish people, dating back thousands of years.

The Zionist movement gained significant momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly under the leadership of figures like Theodor Herzl. It eventually led to the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948.

There are various strands of Zionism, ranging from religious Zionism, which sees the establishment of Israel as fulfillment of biblical prophecy, to secular Zionism, which views it as a response to the need for a Jewish national identity and a refuge from anti-Semitism.

However, the movement has been controversial, particularly in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as it has led to displacement and conflict between Jewish and Arab populations in the region.

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Asad was born Leopold Weiss on July 2, 1900 in Lwow, Galicia, now in Poland, . . .
"While staying with his uncle in Jerusalem, he came into contact with the Zionist Committee of Action and was repelled by its contempt toward the Arabs. "Although of Jewish origin myself," wrote Asad in The Road to Mecca, "I conceived from the outset a strong objection to Zionism...I considered it immoral that immigrants, assisted by a great foreign power, should come from abroad with the avowed intention of attaining a majority in Palestine and thus to dispossess the people whose country it had been...This attitude of mine was beyond the comprehension of practically all the Jews whom I came in contact with during those months. They could not understand what I saw in the Arabs...They were not in the least interested in what the Arabs thought; almost none of them took the pains to learn Arabic; and everyone accepted without question the dictum that Palestine was the rightful heritage of the Jews."
It was here that Asad encountered Chaim Weizmann, the undisputed leader of the Zionist movement, and had a heated discussion with him regarding the Zionist philosophy."--Hasan Zillur Rahim, "Muhammad Asad Visionary Islamic Scholar," Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, September 1995

Prof. A. K. Ramakrishnan, "Mahatma Gandhi Rejected Zionism," The Wisdom Fund, August 15, 2001

Rabbi Dovid Weiss, "Judaism: An Alternative to Zionism," Neturei Karta International, April 1, 2002

M. Shahid Alam, "Zionism: Pitting the West Against Islam," The Wisdom Fund, December 1, 2006

Stephen J. Sniegoski, "Israeli Exceptionalism: The Destabilizing Logic of Zionism," The Wisdom Fund, June 23, 2010

Alan Hart, "Final Thoughts on Zionism's Success and Arab Failure," alanhart.net, May 4, 2013

Robert Fisk, "The True Gaza Back-Story That the Israelis Aren't Telling This Week," The Independent (UK), July 9, 2014

Palestine Talks | In conversation with Rabbi Shapiro, TRT World, June 30, 2024

Sana Saeed, How U.S. News Media Manufactured 'Antisemitism on Campuses', AJ+, July 6, 2024

20,000 Jews denounce Zionism, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, September 17, 2024

Shahid Alam, "Zionism: In the Words of the Leading Zionists and Their Allies," counterpunch.org, November 26, 2024

Ralph Wilde on the ICJ & why Israeli occupation must end, Al Jazeera Centre Stage, April 10, 2025

Rabbi HUMILIATES Ben-Gvir At Israel Consulate, Katie Halper Show, May 1, 2025

Rabbi Weiss: "Zionism is not Judaism," TRT World, June 26, 2025