Zionism: A Violently Racist Ideology Rooted In European Colonialist Thought

 

By Mohammed Khaku

Jul 19, 2025

This is a brief overview of my opinion and perspective on Zionism:

The difference between Judaism and Zionism: Exploring the true essence of Zionism.

The current Israeli government and Zionism are closely connected.

Throughout its rich and intricate history, Europe has been the birthplace of several controversial ideologies, including colonialism, imperialism, fascism, nationalism, Nazism, and Zionism, among others.

Although many of these ideas have been theoretically disavowed, Zionism is still often revered like a religion, which some view as false propaganda since the catastrophic 1945 Nakba.

Zionism is violently racist ideology rooted in European colonialist thought, which views people of different skin colors or religions as subhuman.

Zionism and Judaism are distinct concepts and not the same. Judaism is a recognized religion in Islam, where Jewish and Christian people are referred to as Ahl e Kitab, meaning the People of the Book.

Zionism is a political ideology considered by some to be racist. Its supporters come from diverse backgrounds, including Jews, Christians, Hindus, atheists, and even Muslims.

In the United States, influential and powerful lobbies like AIPAC and Christian Zionist groups wield considerable influence over decision-making in Washington, largely due to their financial power.

Criticism of Israel or its actions is often suppressed by equating Zionism with Judaism. This link is used to brand criticism of Israeli policies or actions as "anti-Semitism," discouraging open discussions or another point of view.

It is unequivocally clear that critics of the Zionist state do not accuse all Jewish people of supporting Israel, despite the Zionists' attempts to conflate the two.

Many Jewish rabbis, academics, scientists, organizations, and social and political activists openly oppose Zionism and criticize Israeli policies.

Professors like Norman Finkelstein, Richard Falk, and Ilan Pappe have faced challenges in their academic careers. Meanwhile, several Jewish organizations, including Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), IfNotNow (INN), the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), and the American Council for Judaism (ACJ), are actively working on a global scale to combat Zionism and promote justice, peace, and equality.

Rabbi Brant Rosen, co-founder of JVP and founder of the non-Zionist synagogue Tzedek Chicago, emphasizes the importance of "bearing witness to oppression, particularly when it’s being done in our name as Americans and as Jews." He describes the community as a place for Jews who refuse to confine their Judaism to narrow political Zionist nationalism.

It's uncommon for people to openly identify as fascists, Nazis, colonialists, or imperialists, yet Zionists often portray it as a source of pride and a badge of honor.

Zionist ideology was originally promoted by individuals of Jewish heritage, such as Theodore Herzl, though they were not religious. Zionism is separate from Judaism, the religion followed by millions of people.

During that time, Judaism was viewed as an obstacle to colonial ambitions. Herzl, often regarded as a controversial figure, argued after the 1894 Dreyfus affair in France that Jews were unable to assimilate into Christian European societies and needed a separate homeland.

This controversial idea was presented at the first Zionist Conference in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897. At the time, many rabbis opposed political Zionism. Earlier, the Philadelphia Conference, held from November 3–6, 1869, had passed a resolution highlighting the key differences between Judaism and Zionism.

How did political Zionism, viewed as a colonial and discriminatory movement, manage to establish itself in the center of the Islamic world instead of a place like Florida, despite opposition from notable rabbis and the native Palestinian population?

The harmful and toxic brew mix of Western colonialism, political Zionism, Arab nationalism, and the strategy of securing the loyalty of Arabian tribal chiefs to use them against the Ottoman Sultanate paved the way for the establishment of the Zionist entity in Palestine, marked by the infamous Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917.

The Balfour Declaration pledged Palestinian land to European Zionist Jews, who have a history of conflict with orthodox Jews, while Muslims have not been involved in pogroms or inquisitions against religious or other minorities.

When Jews faced persecution in Europe or Russia, they often found refuge among Muslims, resulting in the formation of Jewish communities in North Africa, Turkey, and Iran that still endure today. However, European racists redirected their "Jewish problem" to Palestine.

While Zionists denounce anti-Semitism and cite it as a central reason for creating a homeland for the “Jewish people,” anti-Semitism remains deeply connected to Zionism and crucial for its continuation.

Herzl wrote, "The Jews constitute a single people and cannot be integrated into other peoples. However, they do assimilate into any society if they feel secure for a long period. And that will never be to our interest." Thus, Herzl saw anti-Semites as essential allies in his effort to establish the Zionist State in Palestine.

Antisemitism is often likened to McCarthyism, being used as a way to suppress free speech and stifle criticism of Zionism or Israel in the United States.

The intersection of racism and Zionism has influenced international policies. On November 10, 1975, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 3379, declaring that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”

Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are not the same; anti-Semitism arises from xenophobia, often linked to Islamophobia. Being against Zionism means opposing all forms of racism, whether it's directed at Jews, Muslims, Black people, or white people.

Peace in Palestine and around the world will remain out of reach until Zionist racism is completely eradicated as both an ideology and a social construct. This harmful belief system must be entirely uprooted and permanently eliminated.

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Source: Zionism

 

URL:   https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/zionism-racist-ideology-european-colonialist/d/136233

 

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