The idea that genuine Zionists run the most powerful nation on earth (and by the same token every other developed nation on earth) conflicts with the fact that Zion is the most dangerous place on earth for Zionists and their lives are evidently as expandable as those of anyone else, used as regular cannon fodder. Despite allegedly controlling virtually the whole world they somehow cannot subdue an impoverished, walled ghetto in the midst of Zion, with no apparent possibility of ever living in peace. In view of this inconsistency, Zionism may be understood as just another mask, another false narrative, a propaganda tool used on Jews, against the interests of regular Jews.
Good points. Appreciate your contribution in this regard and that you get the point I'm raising.
In my experience so far, there is a serious intellectual shortcoming as you highlight.
Also, Zionism and the creation of Israel has, to my current knowledge, a profoundly antisemitic angle to it i.e. The creation of Israel itself was based on negotiations with profound antisemitic agenda masked in Judaism.
This is a fundamental construct: the co-opting of religion by political movements to gain protection and legitimacy.
It also raises the fundamental question of why Christian Zionists back an ideology that denigrates them and the religion to the point of classifying Christians as inferior goyim etc, like all other non Jews.
These questions challenge the adequacy of what some refer to as "the Jewish question".
There is much more to this but it is a highly contentious area that regular folk seem to butcher, although my knowledge and research is not deep.
There are two aspects to Zionism that must be differentiated: 1) the degree to which the Zionist leadership exploits, propagandises, radicalises and endangers Israelis, under the pretext of giving them a sanctuary (which is somehow always out of reach); 2) the degree to which some Israelis allow themselves to be radicalised, believe the propaganda, and choose extremism and racial supremacism etc. The extremists a strategically promoted minority, whereas the majority do not agree with any ethno-supremacist beliefs but understand Zionism as a promise of a sanctuary. The latter group are essentially trapped between the fear of persecution/antisemitism and the promise of peace. Israel would change fundamentally (for the better) if the majority realised they were being used all along, that they were not led to safety but into conflict, trauma and death.
Permanent, sought after victimhood status is a key tool that works bothextremely and internally. Trouble is, it's very easy to spot the big plays to the point that it's counterproductive.
This isbecoming very extreme now and visible to those who didn't know anything before, but as Covid, this awareness and exposure is still boxed in to the minority channels e.g. Grayzone, electronic intifada.
Funnily, if you just read the Israeli press you see far more reportage that exposes/damages Zionism and the extremist Israeli politics than a you'll see in Western press.
Just that contrast in itself blows up the Western propaganda machine.
But this still doesn't answer the question,"why let them get this deep into the abyss and risking self destruction?"
Israelis are increasingly traumatised and suspicious of their leadership, of the war, of the permanent lack of peace they were promised. It is not the Zionism the regular citizens were promised, it is not how they understand Zionism (the majority are not supremacists of fascists and they don’t want a supremacist, fascist government either). What the Israeli leadership does is not an action of Israel acting in its own right, it is not even a Jewish project but a global project, actively or tacitly facilitated by the fascist leaders of the developed world, using Israelis in the same manner as Ukrainians.
Paradoxically, the biggest existential threat to ideological Zionism is the disappearance of antisemitism; one cannot sell a ‘sanctuary’ to a people who have nothing to run away from. The more insecure the sanctuary the greater the demand for the fear of the Other.
Yes, I think this is a fair observation of the situation.
Another thingI would point out its that the fragility of the paradox is betrayed by the ease with which the official website of the slogan of "we have nowhere else to go" [so this is our rightful land/home]. First, the first claim doesn't make the second claim true. Second, the didn't place of the conflict and the speed and ease with which "Israelis" have fled to alternative homes in other countries undermines both claims. Contrast that with the plight of the Palestinians: not only do they not have homes elsewhere (there's far fewer recent immigrants/settlers in Palestine, for example) but they also literally cannot freely leave because of the Israeli's illegal control over them, not that they should be forced to leave by the Israelis, as per the ICJ's legal opinion.
The more of Zionism that is exposed in this conflict, the more one gets to see the paper thin nature of its claims, intent and sometimes it's method when it comes to the supremacist intent to annihilate and subjugate mankind. Actions now are so the the egregious that it's hard to comprehend the mindset. Impunity, zealotry, fanaticism, psychopathy, sociopathy, Machiavellianism, sadism and supremacy all feature. It's a heady mix, for sure.
It appears we agree that Zionism (as a ‘sactuary’ project) is performatively contradictory, that it cannot be the true purpose of the Zionist leadership. Zionism can then be understood as a means of manipulating Jews in order to use them for some other purpose. We may disagree on what that other purpose is. It does not follow from the context that the purpose is to ‘annihilate and subjugate mankind’. If self-professed Zionists and supporters dominate the developed world, then the world is already subjugated. At the same time, the war crimes of Israel, the self-incriminating leaks and selfies, admissions of criminal intent, are mediated in a similar way to professional athletes dropping dead during sport competitions just as the narrative was ‘safe and effective’, and the ‘safe and effective’ dogma was defended with the same coercive zeal as the contradictions of Zionism. The level of provocation and polarisation is Maximum, along every axis, and yet “We are all in this together”. One could then speculate that the purpose of this global project is not to subjugate humanity but, in some sense, to ‘save it’, to establish a new society, a global ‘sanctuary’, based on rational argumentation, collaboration, not on ethno-nationalism, on irreconcilable religious dogmas, tribalism and perpetual violence. It would then make sense to amplify and expose the evils of ethno-nationalism, irreconcilable religious dogmatism, tribalism and perpetual violence, and thereby ’allow’ those who cannot be redeemed/rehabilitated to fight to the death to defend their false idols. This narrative seems to fit the facts, as a possibility, and would have the persuasive power to gain the support of most if not all leaders, ‘saving the world’ together.
"Zionism is not a benign cultural identity or religious belief; it is a murderous, colonial, and inherently racist political ideology that must be isolated, opposed, and defeated.
If reading that sentence feels shocking or insensitive, then it can only mean the reader has not yet come to terms with the extent to which Zionism is a form of fascism and white supremacy. "
Both the Israelites and their enemies were (are?) 'White' in terms of basic appearance.
But more and more people are beginning to figure out that the Jews are not the descendants of the ancient Israelites, and they have no claim to the covenant between YAWEH and Jacob Israel.
" a propaganda tool used on Jews, against the interests of regular Jews"
Just like most people on Earth, regular Jews have a very biased - and indeed downright bizarre - notion of their own interests. I see this as one of the major problems plaguing the human race.
The idea that genuine Zionists run the most powerful nation on earth (and by the same token every other developed nation on earth) conflicts with the fact that Zion is the most dangerous place on earth for Zionists and their lives are evidently as expandable as those of anyone else, used as regular cannon fodder. Despite allegedly controlling virtually the whole world they somehow cannot subdue an impoverished, walled ghetto in the midst of Zion, with no apparent possibility of ever living in peace. In view of this inconsistency, Zionism may be understood as just another mask, another false narrative, a propaganda tool used on Jews, against the interests of regular Jews.
Good points. Appreciate your contribution in this regard and that you get the point I'm raising.
In my experience so far, there is a serious intellectual shortcoming as you highlight.
Also, Zionism and the creation of Israel has, to my current knowledge, a profoundly antisemitic angle to it i.e. The creation of Israel itself was based on negotiations with profound antisemitic agenda masked in Judaism.
This is a fundamental construct: the co-opting of religion by political movements to gain protection and legitimacy.
It also raises the fundamental question of why Christian Zionists back an ideology that denigrates them and the religion to the point of classifying Christians as inferior goyim etc, like all other non Jews.
These questions challenge the adequacy of what some refer to as "the Jewish question".
There is much more to this but it is a highly contentious area that regular folk seem to butcher, although my knowledge and research is not deep.
There are two aspects to Zionism that must be differentiated: 1) the degree to which the Zionist leadership exploits, propagandises, radicalises and endangers Israelis, under the pretext of giving them a sanctuary (which is somehow always out of reach); 2) the degree to which some Israelis allow themselves to be radicalised, believe the propaganda, and choose extremism and racial supremacism etc. The extremists a strategically promoted minority, whereas the majority do not agree with any ethno-supremacist beliefs but understand Zionism as a promise of a sanctuary. The latter group are essentially trapped between the fear of persecution/antisemitism and the promise of peace. Israel would change fundamentally (for the better) if the majority realised they were being used all along, that they were not led to safety but into conflict, trauma and death.
Permanent, sought after victimhood status is a key tool that works bothextremely and internally. Trouble is, it's very easy to spot the big plays to the point that it's counterproductive.
This isbecoming very extreme now and visible to those who didn't know anything before, but as Covid, this awareness and exposure is still boxed in to the minority channels e.g. Grayzone, electronic intifada.
Funnily, if you just read the Israeli press you see far more reportage that exposes/damages Zionism and the extremist Israeli politics than a you'll see in Western press.
Just that contrast in itself blows up the Western propaganda machine.
But this still doesn't answer the question,"why let them get this deep into the abyss and risking self destruction?"
Occam's & Hanlon's razor don't cut it.
Israelis are increasingly traumatised and suspicious of their leadership, of the war, of the permanent lack of peace they were promised. It is not the Zionism the regular citizens were promised, it is not how they understand Zionism (the majority are not supremacists of fascists and they don’t want a supremacist, fascist government either). What the Israeli leadership does is not an action of Israel acting in its own right, it is not even a Jewish project but a global project, actively or tacitly facilitated by the fascist leaders of the developed world, using Israelis in the same manner as Ukrainians.
Paradoxically, the biggest existential threat to ideological Zionism is the disappearance of antisemitism; one cannot sell a ‘sanctuary’ to a people who have nothing to run away from. The more insecure the sanctuary the greater the demand for the fear of the Other.
Yes, I think this is a fair observation of the situation.
Another thingI would point out its that the fragility of the paradox is betrayed by the ease with which the official website of the slogan of "we have nowhere else to go" [so this is our rightful land/home]. First, the first claim doesn't make the second claim true. Second, the didn't place of the conflict and the speed and ease with which "Israelis" have fled to alternative homes in other countries undermines both claims. Contrast that with the plight of the Palestinians: not only do they not have homes elsewhere (there's far fewer recent immigrants/settlers in Palestine, for example) but they also literally cannot freely leave because of the Israeli's illegal control over them, not that they should be forced to leave by the Israelis, as per the ICJ's legal opinion.
The more of Zionism that is exposed in this conflict, the more one gets to see the paper thin nature of its claims, intent and sometimes it's method when it comes to the supremacist intent to annihilate and subjugate mankind. Actions now are so the the egregious that it's hard to comprehend the mindset. Impunity, zealotry, fanaticism, psychopathy, sociopathy, Machiavellianism, sadism and supremacy all feature. It's a heady mix, for sure.
It appears we agree that Zionism (as a ‘sactuary’ project) is performatively contradictory, that it cannot be the true purpose of the Zionist leadership. Zionism can then be understood as a means of manipulating Jews in order to use them for some other purpose. We may disagree on what that other purpose is. It does not follow from the context that the purpose is to ‘annihilate and subjugate mankind’. If self-professed Zionists and supporters dominate the developed world, then the world is already subjugated. At the same time, the war crimes of Israel, the self-incriminating leaks and selfies, admissions of criminal intent, are mediated in a similar way to professional athletes dropping dead during sport competitions just as the narrative was ‘safe and effective’, and the ‘safe and effective’ dogma was defended with the same coercive zeal as the contradictions of Zionism. The level of provocation and polarisation is Maximum, along every axis, and yet “We are all in this together”. One could then speculate that the purpose of this global project is not to subjugate humanity but, in some sense, to ‘save it’, to establish a new society, a global ‘sanctuary’, based on rational argumentation, collaboration, not on ethno-nationalism, on irreconcilable religious dogmas, tribalism and perpetual violence. It would then make sense to amplify and expose the evils of ethno-nationalism, irreconcilable religious dogmatism, tribalism and perpetual violence, and thereby ’allow’ those who cannot be redeemed/rehabilitated to fight to the death to defend their false idols. This narrative seems to fit the facts, as a possibility, and would have the persuasive power to gain the support of most if not all leaders, ‘saving the world’ together.
"Zionism is not a benign cultural identity or religious belief; it is a murderous, colonial, and inherently racist political ideology that must be isolated, opposed, and defeated.
If reading that sentence feels shocking or insensitive, then it can only mean the reader has not yet come to terms with the extent to which Zionism is a form of fascism and white supremacy. "
Louis Allday
https://mondoweiss.net/2024/05/four-points-on-solidarity-after-the-gaza-genocide/
Both the Israelites and their enemies were (are?) 'White' in terms of basic appearance.
But more and more people are beginning to figure out that the Jews are not the descendants of the ancient Israelites, and they have no claim to the covenant between YAWEH and Jacob Israel.
It's a time of revelation, praise Christ.
" a propaganda tool used on Jews, against the interests of regular Jews"
Just like most people on Earth, regular Jews have a very biased - and indeed downright bizarre - notion of their own interests. I see this as one of the major problems plaguing the human race.
I feel ya on this one. Thanks for sharing it.