          What is Zionism?   A Question and an Answer
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
                         June 13, 1997

> Date:          Thu, 12 Jun 1997 23:21:41 -0400 (EDT)
> From:          Steven C Diamond <scd@kepler.unh.edu>
> To:            Progressive News List <pnews-l@maelstrom.stjohns.edu>
> Cc:            nir@jer1.co.il
> Subject:       Expanding Zionism in an Arab homeland

> Re: A voice from Hebron...
> I find it increasingly difficult to define Zionism for myself without  associating it with military
expansionism and colonialism.  You see, the  problem arises when Jews decide to live and build
their homeland on what used to be an arab homeland.  Despite the fact that much of the 
> pre-existing arab population was and is semi-nomadic, the Jews do not  live on a "Peopleless
Land, for a People without a Land."  There was an existing population, and the Colonial powers
made a historically consistent decision... they sent in white people to colonize, rule, be 
> prosperous, and be sympathetic (or at least not hostile) towards the powers that put them there. 
As happened in Algeria and elsewhere, in  colonial Africa, the indigenous people violently
resisted... and the  colonial and military powers of the World responded by increasing 
> military and economic aide for Israel.  The countries of North Africa eventually gained
independence, usually because colonialism became too costly in one sense or another... but the
arabs remember what has been done to them and begin to see the current mechanisms for doing
the same  thing... the IMF and World Bank.  
>    France is an interesting and notable exception in its recent championing of some Arab states. 
In Algeria and the other colonies,  France eventually realized that oppression and bloodshed was 
> UNPROFITABLE.  So they chose a more sound approach to colonization for  the enrichment
of the homeland... economic cooperation, ownership,  and domination... basically, "trade
liberalization".  This  technique is good enough to be used against most of the 3rd World, 
> but considering that the 1st World MUST have access to oil, the arabs  require more drastic
repression to ensure 1st world control.             
>  While a state of war might be a valid characterization for the region,  this is used unjustly to
justify further expansion.  It should also be  recognized what the real purpose for the
"settlements" is... to serve as  fortification, not to provide housing for Jews.  Still, at least the term 
> "settlement" is strangely appropriate.... after all, the goal is to tame  and convert the disgruntled
natives.  
>  At least Israeli Zionism is somewhat clear in its motives.  

 Dear Mr. Diamond,

      Thank you for your comments.  While your logic is impeccable, your premise is, to say the
least, inaccurate.  In fact there never was an Arab homeland in the territory which was once called
Palestine.    The only people who ever had a national entity in this area was the Jewish people. 
Over two thousand years ago this area was called Judea.  The Roman emperor, Hadrian,
ploughed the city of Jerusalem and changed the name of  Judea to "Palestina" in an attempt to 
obliterate the fact that this is a Jewish homeland.
     My friend, unlike South Africa, we aren't white folk who came to displace the natives.  We
are the Jewish People, the Children of Israel, whom you may have read about in the Bible.  We
are not a race, in that our people have been dispersed to all four corners of the world and have
absorbed the qualities of peoples from all nations.  We have black Jews, Indian Jews, Arab Jews,
American Jews. . . just fill in the nation and you will find our people living there.  This was clearly
foretold in the Bible.
     It was also foretold that the day would come when we would be gathered up from the
nations to which we had been scattered, and returned to our homeland which G-d promised to our
Father, Abraham. We are not colonialists, imperialists, or even "settlers".  We are the original
owners of the Land and we have come home to claim what is rightfully ours.  
     While we were gone no other nation ever established sovereignty in our homeland.  In fact
the land was cursed and became a barren wasteland.  It was only when we, the Children of Israel,
came home to her that the land, once again, became green, flourished and yielded her bounty.
     The fact is, my friend, that the Land of Israel is not where the oil is.  The vast expanse of
Islamic territories has all of the wealth in the region.  There are those who claim that if Israel
would give Arafat his own new state built upon  Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and half of Jerusalem
as his capital, that we would have peace.  
     The immediate question which then comes to mind is, "Why did we not have peace and
the establishment of such a state in these areas prior to 1967 when all of these lands were in Arab
hands?
      What is the big deal for the Jews to possess a tiny piece of property in the Middle East?  I
will tell you.  It is clearly not a matter of displacing natives.  It is, very simply, a religious issue. 
Islam cannot and will not tolerate any non-Islamic entity having sovereignty over one inch of what
it considers to be Islamic territory.
     It may seem convenient for you to blithely suggest that we rich  white Jews just decided to
bully around poor indigent Arabs and steal their homes from them by force.  But the facts are
otherwise.  The world powers of the time, in effect, actually stole most of our homeland from the
Jewish people.  The League of Nations voted to divide the Jewish homeland, the greater bulk of
which had already been taken from us and given to an Arab Sheik, Abdullah, to create a formerly
non existent nation which today is called Jordan.  
     We, belligerent colonists, rather than fight for what is rightfully ours, meekly accepted the
decision to rebuild our homeland on a tiny, indefensible fraction of the property upon which the
Jewish state should have been built.   
     It was the concept of a sovereign Jewish State of any dimension, no matter how
minuscule, that incensed the Arabs to attempt to destroy us in 1948.  Had they not attacked us
then; had they agreed to live in peace with us then, it is hard to imagine how a Jewish State could 
have ever developed. 
      And, unlike your suggestion that world powers came in and forced the Arabs to accept
the Jews, the facts are otherwise.  As long as it appeared that our enemies would prevail no
outside power ever intervened on our behalf.  In every war launched by our enemies to
 destroy the Jewish nation, the moment that it became clear that the Jews were winning, that is
when we saw foreign intervention force us to refrain from vanquishing our enemies.  It is an
outright lie to suggest that foreign powers helped us to subdue our enemies.
     We do not need "justification" to build our own homeland.  We never had a need to
provide for the needs of those who used our generosity as a tool to destroy us.  Had we been a
normal nation we would have thrown our enemies out of our country.   Instead we made them 
citizens.
     Today we can clearly see the results of that absurd and self-destructive decision.  Our own
so-called leaders have actually taken the veritable symbol of Arab terror and elevated him to the 
status of "statesman".   We have accepted the masquerade of terrorists as "policeman" which we
have armed and set up in fortresses throughout Judea, Samaria and Gaza.  And from this we 
actually believe peace will sprout forth.
     You may call it what you will, but the State of Israel, the Jewish State, has been in a state
of war with all of her Arab neighbors, within and without, ever since the reestablishment of Jewish 
sovereignty in Israel  (and probably even before).  It is not a situation which we want.  Every
Israeli government, including the present one, has always been prepared to make a deal. . . to give 
away much of our land to our enemies in return for real peace.  
     It has always been a ridiculous and futile effort.  Aside from the fact that we have no right
to give away, or even sell our birthright to another, the Arab world will not settle for less than all
of our homeland.
     I would like to believe that I had a government which openly and unashamedly would
declare Jewish sovereignty over all lands in our possession and develop it with no regard to
foreign objections.  I would love to have a government which would justify your accusations 
of being "expansionist".  I bemoan the fact that this is simply not the case.  Never in the history of
nations was there a country which tried so hard to barter its homeland in the futile hope that its 
enemies would refrain from trying to destroy it.  Whether you like it or not; whether you believe it
or not, Israel is the victim and the Arabs have always been the aggressors.
     Even today, as we engage in negotiations with murderers, we offer to compromise on
what clearly belongs to us and over which we have complete control.  Our puny enemies, who
have fraudulent claims and no real power with which to back them up, even in this situation, 
openly declare that they wish to remove all Jews from areas in which we may permit them self
rule!
     My problem is not with Arabs or with the State Department.  My problem is that, in place
of Jewish leaders I have lemmings.  The only thing which stands between such leaders and the
complete destruction of the Jewish State is the Living G-d of Israel.  
     For generations our rabbis have taught us that the G-d of Israel watches over our Land
night and day.  Were this not true there would be no Jewish State.  Thus we survive even our
self-deceiving and self-destructive leadership.
     If you want to believe that the motley remnants of Hitler's war against the Jews just
decided to pick themselves up and become rich colonialists who stole Arab lands that is your
privilege.  But were you to take the time to examine the facts you would clearly realize 
that Israel is not Angola or South Africa.  The rules of logic do not function here.  Most rich
white Jews are quite happy living in western countries and have no interest in moving to Israel.  In
spite of this, against their will, these Jews will soon find themselves all coming home to the Land
of Israel.  This is a Divine Process which supersedes logic or the will of Man.
     It really matters not whether or not you accept what I have explained to you.  Just keep
your eyes open and we will see.  If logic prevails then the Jewish State will soon perish and you
will have my apologies for wasting your time.  If, however, what I am describing does come 
to pass, I hope that you will remember and offer your apologies.  In any event, I live here and am
betting my life and the lives of my family on this premise.

With Blessings from Hebron,

Gary M. Cooperberg