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Zionism
Zionism is the concept that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People.
Esser Agaroth(2¢):
Well, at least that is what the definition should be. And, in fact, many of you probably believe that this is your definition, as well. But is that really the case?
For over 20 years, like minded friends have suggested that I let the term Zionism go. For a time, I was using the term “Torah Nationalist.” But that never took hold.
Some suggested “Torah-observant.” Even though there are more than a few definitions of what that means, or does not mean. Still others asked why I/we need a label in the first place.
For some reason, I have not been able to let go of the term Zionism, resentful of the many distortions of it, not to mention the neglect of the original source, the Torah, which connects the Jewish People to the Land of Israel.
Let us begin with the obvious errors in the manifestation of Zionism.
Armchair Zionism
You sit around, yelling at your TVs, believing that only you know how to solve the problems in the Middle East, and get super frustrated that no one listens to you. Maybe you have a child whom you sent to Israel to experience it for a year. Maybe that child learned in yeshiva, or university, or served in the IDF.
But, still, the idea of you or anyone in your family ever actually living in Israel is just not your radar.
Social Media Zionism
...and to be clear, I am referring ONLY to those of you who do not reside in Israel.
Those of you who do reside in Israel, please continue to document your experiences. And if you make money from it, then more power to you! Just use the money to stay in Israel, where you belong, instead of “touring” more than half of the year, and all for the sake of your “message,” about life in Israel. Even though you are not here very much to experience it.
Leave a comment, or follow me on social media (upper right hand column), and I’ll follow you back... unless you are a friends of Christians, or believe that they are really our friends. Then don’t bother.
I am also not referring to the genuine, Hollywood stars who have put their careers and perhaps even their families safety on the line for the sake of Israel. Would I like to see more? Yes. But I’ll take whatever you can give.
Now, to those of you “social media stars,” or those of you who just think you are, who do not reside in Israel, nor have any intention of ever residing here, this is for you.
Exploiting Israel’s troubles for the sake of followers and views? Even exploiting October 7, which most of you do not even bother to mention that the massacre fell on Shemini Atzereth /Simhath Torah...the Jewish date?
Your response? But, because of our audience, we succeed in getting the message out, especially to the younger generations, when the mainstream media fail.
And what message would that be? The message that we must hang on to some piece of land 6,000 miles away from our [real] homes, sacrifice the children of others to protect it, but we wouldn’t actually consider living there?
Sorry. But, your symbolic trips to Israel do not cut it. You are the worst of all of the fake Zionists out there.
Career Zionism
You make careers and support your families based on the Zionist Enterprise. Maybe you have sent your kids to learn here. Maybe they have even served in the IDF.
Those of you with children here, I can give you a pass... as long as you exploit your children, and actually work seriously to encourage aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel), no matter how much you upset some of your donors. No? Doesn’t make sense? Better to compromise a principle or two, here and there, by placating your power hungry, condescending donors, who are out of control, for the sake of the Jews who can actually afford to move to Israel?
I will remind you that if you are truly a Zionist, then those principles you are compromising are Torah principles.
Any Jewish organization, which does not encourage aliyah, has no business calling itself Zionist.
Nefesh b’Nefesh
With a signifiant amount of funding coming from Christians, such as John Hagee, do you realize just how much you are building up their merit baShamayim, ie. the merit of Esau (Edom) in Heaven, thus delaying their fall?(TB Megilah 6a) Do the ends justify the means? Do you care? Is it really worth it? I guess will find out.
The truly sad part is that the Christians are covering what money collected through the efforts of the Career Zionists cannot. Or the money collected by the career Zionists that does not actually go to encouragingaliyah.
This brings us to...
Christian Zionism
This is an oxymoron. Why? Because you are not in the least interested in contributing to a Jewish nation, but rather to a Christian one.
Christians want Jews to immigrate to Israel for the wrong reasons, none of which are related to creating a Jewish homeland. Christians believe that Jews returning to the Land of Israel will usher the return of you their false deity-messiah.
Just like with the Muslims, some Christians are more patient than others, when it comes to strategy.
The smarter, more patient, Christians have put missionizing on hold, and have moved their focus to building up their presence in the Land. They believe it belongs to them anyway, that they have gained God’s favor over the Jews.
From a Torah perspective, it seems that their spiritual forefather Esau (Edom / The West), who gave up his birthright to his younger brother Ya’aqov (Israel) (Gen. 25:31-34), wants it back.
Some Christians are willing to share the Land with Jews residing in the Southern Kingdom of Judea, while they take possession of the Northern Kingdom, including Samaria, believing that they come from lost tribes of Israel, such as Ephraim. They do not.
Other Christians believe in the need for continued, active missionizing, supported by the likes of Amb. Mike Huckabee. Lucky for you co-dependent Jews in the government believe in receiving your support, and so they placate you, either by removing barriers for your extended stays, or just look the other way.
Others in the Israeli government believe in this“freedom of religious expression”nonsense. Once upon a time, Torah-hating leftists were the greatest allies in the battle against the pushing of Christian missionaries. No longer.
Now, the leftists are worried only about their own hides, and their “rights” to do whatever they want. If Christians, who are not even from here, are restricted from spreading their false beliefs, then who is next? The Reform Movement?
So, now you know that there is no such thing as Christian Zionism, only more of the same ol’ Christian sneakiness.
So, now we come to the culprits, who began the big push to distort concept of Zionism.
Labor Zionism
Collaborating with the Nazis, leaving Torah observant Jews for dead in Hungary, doing whatever possible to let some Jews in, and keep others out of Israel. Do whatever you can to keep anything Jewish out of the Jewish State.
Tell me how any of this contributes to Jewish control over the Land of Israel?
Working the land and building up. You get points for that. But, building up a State with Jews in it, instead of a State dedicated for a truly Jewish life, is, in no sense, a Jewish State. So, please stop calling it that, and stop pretending your objectives are anything of the sort.
Democratic Zionism
Democracy is a Western concept, specifically a Hellenistic/Greek one.Remember the story of Hanukkah? When Torah-observant Jews fought against Hellenism, and those of you comfortably assimilated into it, and won?
You lost.
Let’s face it. Claiming that Israel is a “Jewish democracy,” and should stay that way, in order to protect individual rights, is just an excuse so that you can do whatever you want, be it drive on Shabbat, eat shellfish, or what have you.
Then there are those of you wearing kippot, insisting your women should be able to put on tefilin (phylacteries), and pray together with men in public at the Western Wall, believe that democracy takes precedence over Torah, or worse, that there aren’t any contradictions between the two.
As long as we havea Supreme Court which overturns any law passed by the State of Israel’s democratically-elected government, simply because it finds it to be “unreasonable,” ie. the justices don’t like it, ie. it is not in line with its Western progressive sensibilities, and as long as we have a Supreme Court which has any say in the choosing of the justices which serve on it, ie. no real separation of powers, we do not even have a real democracy.
To those Labor Zionists and Jewish Democratists who actually live in the Land of Israel, many of you actually might be considered Zionists, but not for the reasons you think.
To the rest you, identifying with any of the categories above, remind me again how you are Zionists.
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