ABSTRACT
Today the mainstream Jewish community, by far, is united behind Israel. Yet this was not always the case. At the end of the nineteenth century, Zionism was widely criticized by both Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish movements. With the emergence of Nazism in the twentieth century, Jewish support for Israel became universal. Today, however, anti-Zionism is widespread in the Arab world and is also prevalent among those who believe in the Palestinian cause.
Distinctions are drawn to bring out how ‘anti-Zionism’ is not a simple position, but ranges from support for the destruction of the state of Israel to challenges to its Jewish exclusivity to criticisms of Israeli policies towards the Palestinians. The position of Jews critical of Israel such as Daniel Barenboim, is highlighted and how it is wrong to merge such a position with that of the Nazis regarding the Jews. To protect the Jewish homeland, urgings are given to the Israeli government actively to promote trade with Gaza and the West Bank – and to display virtues extolled by Judaism, virtues such as compassion.
