Zionism is not Fascism

Zionism is not Fascism

Many critics of Israel try to label the country as a fascist state, but do they even know what fascism means?

Some definitions are in order.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Zionism is the Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state.

Britannica goes on to define fascism as an extreme militaristic nationalism, with contempt for democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in a natural social hierarchy and the rule of the elites, and the desire to create a people’s community in which individual interests are subordinated to the good of the nation.

By these accepted definitions, Israel is not a fascist state, nor is Zionism a fascist movement.

Zionism was founded as a liberal, democratic movement that sought to create a state in which the rule of law would be respected.

The result has been a multicultural Jewish state with room enough for Christians, Muslims, and others.

In my view, Israel has lived up to this objective.

Israeli Arabs make up 21% of Israel’s population. They have political parties and serve in the Knesset (parliament). They have been ministers and are soldiers, officers, police officers, civil servants, judges, and a Muslim Arab is a Justice of the Supreme Court.

They live alongside Jewish Israelis, fight, and die alongside them in defence of Israel.

On the flip side, how many Jews have political rights in Arab countries? How many are allowed to practice their religion freely? How many of Israel’s neighbors are democracies and how many allow minority political parties to operate freely and elect members to the national parliament?

The short answer is none.

Democracy thrives in Israel. The number of free elections in its history and the significant number of political parties speak to the fact. Parties of both the right and left have governed Israel throughout its history, and democratic transitions of power have been peaceful and automatic.

The Israeli parliamentary system forces larger parties to create coalitions with fringe parties in order to form workable governing majorities.

Today, the government coalition is weighted to the extreme right, and extremist conservative religious and nationalist parties tend to skew Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government policies.

Is the government fascist?

The short answer is no.

Are some members fascists?

It would appear so. But frankly, we could say the same for most countries and democracies in which varying opinions and beliefs are an accepted part of the political discourse.

Is Israel a perfect state?

No.

But then again, no country is.

The country has for years been expanding the number of settlements in the West Bank. According to international law, this is illegal and goes against Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 that are considered legally binding on all U.N. member states.

Would a change in government in Israel change the course of Israeli-Palestinian relations?

Possibly.

But it most definitely would have to be accompanied by a change in the Palestinian leadership and their doctrine that threatens the very existence of Israel in particular and of Jews in general.

Palestinians have twice rejected peace deals that would have given them 97% of the land that they seek.

Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups continue to rain missiles down on Israeli territory and engage in terrorist acts and suicide murders – while the Palestinian Authority, ostensibly Israel’s “partner” in peace, has paid the familes of these bombers pensions in honor of these terrorists.

Israel is not the provocateur in attacking Palestinians and they retaliate in self-defence.

Nevertheless, hatred runs deep on both sides, and will continue to do so unless and until leaders engage in confidence building measures to reassure their populations that peace can work and show convincing results.

In the meanwhile, labels such as Israeli fascism, Zionist fascism, or even Palestinian fascism, do little to promote confidence building measures, as do expansionist policies by the current Israeli government.

Indeed, if one explores the Palestinian position of denying Israel’s right to exist and promoting the disappearance not only of Israel but of Jews everywhere, we could easily and credibly accuse the Palestinians themselves of engaging in fascism. These stated goals are those of Hitler’s Nazi’s whose devastation Jews will never forget.

So, Zionism is not fascism while the doctrines of Hamas, Hezbollah and other radical Islamist movements leverage the antisemitism of many to seek legitimacy for their barbaric acts not only towards Jews but also to any Palestinians who dare oppose them. 

All that said, such labelling doesn’t contribute to creating a basis for peace. It only serves to enhance antagonisms and prevent any basis for dialogue.

The dialogue however must begin with a firm repudiation of Palestinian terrorism and a return of the hostages.