In 1894 Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French Army, was accused of espionage. Crowds ran through the French streets yelling "Death to the Jews" and Dreyfus was ultimately convicted despite ample evidence of his innocence. Among the witnesses to this debacle was a Viennese journalist named Theodor Herzl. Inspired by these events, Herzl published The Jewish State: A Modern Solution to the Jewish Question in 1896, and a year later founded the World Zionist Organization. In 1948, his Jewish state became a reality… and a catalyst for fifty-plus years of warfare, bloodshed, and controversy. Most of us are familiar with the term "Zionism." Some see it as support for the State of Israel: others see it as a synonym for colonialism and racism. Zionism has become a "flashpoint" word, like "abortion" or "gun control." Typically those who come to the debating table bring their preconceptions with them: the ensuing arguments often generate more heat than light. The following essays do not offer answers: rather, they are an attempt to frame some of the questions which must be addressed before there can be any peace process.
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| Is anti-Zionism anti-Semitism?
Is Zionism racism? |