Thread/ What seems to be lost in this whole attacking Israel creation as a racist endeavour debate is as follows...
Zionism (I.e the collective ENDEAVOUR of the Jewish people for statehood) long preceded 1948.
Zionism was born out of centuries of primarily European racism. It was not solely the product of the Holocaust. (Read Hertzl). /2
Zionism was born out of centuries of primarily European racism. It was not solely the product of the Holocaust. (Read Hertzl). /2
To describe this ENDEAVOUR (I.e the creation of a Jewish state in Israel) as racist denies the Jewish people the right to national self determination. /3
The idea of a Jewish homeland in Palestine was promised in the Balfour declaration but the closer you get to 1948 the more British tried to avoid fulfilling it. It was hardly the creation of a colonialist power. Acts of violence against the British colonialists were frequent. /4
The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 & the end of British Mandate Palestine was a sh*tshow. It was a civil war. It involved multiple Jewish Zionist militias of differing ideologies, Palestinian militias and neighbouring Arab states. (& some foreign actors on all sides) /5
Now I hear the argument that the creation of Israel was in itself racist. It was an ugly labour (no pun). No sensible person would deny that many Palestinians were forced from their homes for a variety of reasons. (Many also stayed and helped set up the new State). /6
Many Palestinians were also told or leave their homes by their leaders or neighbouring powers whilst the war was taking place assured of their victory in this civil war. /7
If someone wishes to label some of the actions in the war of independence/nakba racist then so be it. It was a bloody civil war. It could be wrong & certainly I would argue as a broadbrush statement it could be antisemitic but to point out specific instances then absolutely. /8
But also think about this. If those acts were racist then what does one call the mass invasion of what is now Israel by the neighbouring Arab countries in 1948? What do people think would have happened to those 700k Jews (Inc survivors) if the civil war turned out differently? /9
It would not have been pretty and we know from history in 1948 that other countries were not exactly queuing up at that moment in history to take Jews. /10
So when people describe 'Israel as a racist endeavour' I hear them meaning that Zionism is a racist endeavour & as covered earlier, Zionism is just the label that Jews ascribe to our movement/aspiration for self determination. To deny only us and only us that right is racist. /11
And if you believe in national self determination for one people you need to be consistent and believe in it for others. Which is precisely why as a Zionist I believe in Palestinian statehood to fulfil their wish to be in control of their own national destiny. /12
Unfortunately we can't change history. But the 1948 War was no different to other breakups of colonies. It was bloody. It was horrible. But all we can do today is deal with the realities in front of us.
There is Israel.
There should be a Palestine alongside it.
There is Israel.
There should be a Palestine alongside it.
