- Israel at 60: Zionism’s Fatal Flaw

Advertise on more than 70 progressive blogs!

Posted by Mr_Jefferson_24 in Israel/Palestine
Thu May 15th 2008, 10:50 AM

by Ira Chernus

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/0... /

---snip---

In fact for many of these first Zionists-most of them modernized, secular intellectuals-Jewish religion had become a burden. Seeing no other way to be Jewish except the religious, most might well have assimilated completely into their European environment. The first great leader of the Zionist movement, Theodore Herzl (himself a highly assimilated Jew), wrote in his classic pamphlet The Jewish State: “If only we were left in peace…” The ellipsis spoke more eloquently than words of the seemingly impossible dream of assimilation. Herzl immediately followed with the bitter premise of Zionism: “But we shall not be left in peace.” Anti-semitism, he argued, was a permanent fact of life for the Diasporic Jew.

Herzl’s close associate, Max Nordau, summed up their assessment for the First Zionist Congress: “The emancipated Jew… has abandoned his specific Jewish character , yet the nations do not accept him as part of their national communities.” Further, Nordau implied, the nations would never accept him. Craving a normal life with a normal modern national identity, he had no choice but to create a secular nation of his own.

Thus the mainstream of Zionism assumed from the start that their “normalization” demanded not only independence and self-governing institutions, but a transformation of Jewish identity from a religious to a secular nationalist basis. As the famed Zionist writer Micah Berdichevski proclaimed: “Israel must precede the Torah, the human being before the religion.” This view was enshrined in 1948, when Israel’s Independence Proclamation promised to safeguard freedom of religion, and from religion, for every citizen.

These were the ideas and ideals that brought most of the early Zionists to Zionism-but not all. There was always a dissenting minority who saw Zionism as a way to not merely save Jews but, more importantly, Judaism. They expected the Jewish homeland (not necessarily a political state, but necessarily in Palestine) to be a platform from which Jewish renewal would be launched. . . .

Discuss (4 comments) | Recommend ( votes)

Profile Information

Mr_Jefferson_24

6397 posts

Member since Fri Jul 1st 2005

Arlington, TX, AmeriKa

Male

Visit Homepage

"Part of the problem of the progressive left is that we have fragmented into dozens of organizations, each of which must struggle for funds and email addresses and all the rest. We need to fold ourselves back into the Democratic Party and thoroughly invigorate it. Do not worry that we will cause the Party to marginalize itself. If the Party can base its actions on good science, effective governance, and efficient delivery of the programs the people need, it will prosper across all the left and all the middle of the American political spectrum. But by splitting ourselves off into all these good government organizations we have left the party to the selfish elites, and they don't know how to serve the people or the truth, and that means they do not know how to win." --Doris "Granny D" Haddock

Latest Threads

The ten most recent threads posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums.

Despicable email I received from 'RedState'. this is how GOP wins election
By Liberal_in_LA

Come on DU, Democrats and AMERICA, RIGHT NOW!!!
By nc4bo

Fox on McCain, Gustav, & GOP Convention: "Sen. McCain has always been sensitive to national crises"
By Amerigo Vespucci

Is Laura Ingraham really that stupid.....or is she just a liar?
By marmar

Why is it taking so long for DU to raise $50k for Obama?
By Onlooker

Breaking: John McCain's photo-op this morning.
By Sannum

Interesting thing about John McCain's POW experience
By Old and In the Way

DNC plan to throw McCain “More of the Same” birthday parties through out weekend in key states
By sabra

Rove franctically trying to convice Mccain not to pick Lieberman-GOP worries about convention crisis
By RMP2008

Diebold Covers Up Inadequacies In Their Voting Machines
By WhoIsNumberNone

More Latest Threads

Greatest Threads

The ten most recommended threads posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums in the last 24 hours.

I'm all choked up...
119 recs : By jaysunb

As a Delawarean I would love to start a please K&R this for Joe Biden!!! - Great Speech!!!
86 recs : By LynneSin

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT RIGHT NOW! DONATE TO THE OFFICIAL DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT!
57 recs : By Skinner

McCain: Don’t Question me about Veterans or Military Issues if you Haven’t Served your Country
51 recs : By Time for change

Putin accuses U.S. of orchestrating Georgian war
48 recs : By maddezmom

Breaking: Obama To Meet With IVAW?
42 recs : By Hissyspit

I think a new McCain fiasco is going to hit
39 recs : By gabeana

Mccain Caught Lying(exposed on youtube) Worst Nightmare
37 recs : By Hope And Change

Michelle Obama and Family Pack Care Boxes for Soldiers
37 recs : By Kristi1696

Barack Obama Official Democratic Party Nominee
32 recs : By mikelgb

More Greatest Threads

Visitor Tools

Use the tools below to keep track of updates to this Journal.

	Track this Journal
	Blogroll this Journal
	RSS/XML

Discussion Forums

Enter Discussion Forums

Big Forums

	Latest Breaking News
	Editorials & Other Articles
	Political Videos
	Research Forum
	General Discussion
	General Discussion: Presidential
	The DU Lounge

More Forums

	Topic Forums (35)
	State & Country Forums (56)
	DU Groups (131)

Today's Featured Forums

	September 11
	Iowa
	Ancient Wisdom and Pagan Spirituality Group
	Deaf/Hard of Hearing Group