Zionism must stop being treated as a political issue

Opinion: Zionism is an ideology, not a political stance and bridging our divides requires recognizing this; mislabeling Zionism as political poses an existential threat to Israel, and safeguarding this distinction is paramount to our survival

Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi | August 17, 2024

(Reuters: Photo)

The principles of the IDSF movement’s activity are exclusively anchored in Israel’s security concerns. Why then is the IDSF movement occasionally pegged as a “right-wing” movement asks Brigadier General (res.) Amir Avivi?

Zionism itself has become somewhat of a political concept. According to the movement’s approach, the fundamental rationale for Israel’s security is the ultimate belief in the rightful claim of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. In other words, this belief has no affiliation or leanings neither to the left nor to the right of the political map.

The politicization of Zionism itself stems from the unfortunate marriage in recent decades of these two tiers that ought to have remained separate – ideology and action. However, once the notion of parting with sections of Israel rests on the fundamental assumption that the Jewish people had no right over that land to begin with, Zionism begins to disintegrate.

An illuminating example of this disparity between ideology and action is the story of the destruction of the Second Temple. Raban Yohanan Ben Zakai upon viewing the ruins of the Temple chose to leave Jerusalem and instead, set the city of Yavneh as the Jewish spiritual center. Some sixty years later, Rabbi Akiva viewed those same ruins and as opposed to Raban Ben Zakai, who concluded that in the face of such a reality of oppression, the Jews must revolt.

Looking at these two historic giants, Rabbi Akiva and Raban Ben Zakai, can any one of them truly be accused of non-Zionism? The answer of course is no. Both Raban Ben Zakai and Rabbi Akiva had no qualms as to who has the rightful claim to the Land of Israel, but each chose to respond and act in a different fashion.

We can uphold Zionism as our common cause as a people yet still support different diplomatic and security solutions. Once we come to realize that there is no contradiction between Zionism and opposing politics, and understand that Zionism is an ideology and not a political statement, we can bridge the gaps that are tearing us apart. However, despite the differences among the various approaches, they were all driven by a common cause: the foundation of a national home for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.

(Photo: EPA/ABIR SULTAN)

The politicization of Zionism also forced a shift in the public’s perception of the Israeli Defense Forces. If until this change the IDF was seen as a liberating army, once politics were attributed to Zionism, many had begun to view the army as an occupying military. It is important to understand that this shift is not just semantic, but a deep perceptional shift.

If there is one thing that the opposition to Zionism had succeeded in doing was to put the notion that Zionism is not a fundamental ideology but a political stand in the minds of Jews themselves. This notion is an existential threat to the State of Israel for the simple reason that when the Israeli nation forgets why it is in the Land of Israel.

Zionism must return to center stage and the global Jewish community must be made to understand that they do not have to reject their Jewish identity in order to see a resolution of problems. In fact, they must not do so.

When there is an understanding that Zionism is a complete narrative, then it cannot be argued that the core of the Land of Israel, which was the setting for the Jewish people’s ancient history, is an occupied territory over which Israel has no legitimate claim. Ideologically, it is a threat to the Zionist notion since how can it be claimed that only part of the Land of Israel belongs to the Jews, whereas another part of it does not?

The perception according to which we are demanded to separate between our identity and values and the problems at hand and the solutions thereof is the bedrock of the IDSF HaBithonistim’s existence. We expect the same from Israel’s security establishment, whose task it is to ensure the security of Israel and the safety of its citizens, and thus must cleanse its hands of the political discourse.

Furthermore, as the IDSF HaBithonistim movement deals only in matters of security and does not engage in social, economic or legal issues and this diversity allows for a pluralistic movement.

But if we begin to doubt ourselves and our rightful claim over the Land of Israel in its entirety, once we start seeing ourselves as occupiers – not only does our foundational ideology of Zionism begin to disintegrate, but Israeli society – and the Jewish people as a whole – begin to less their common ties.

It is our hope that the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora will come to understand what is crystal clear for the IDSF HaBithonistim movement: Zionism is a value and not an opinion; Israel’s security is an existential – not a political – matter.

• Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi is the chairman and founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum – IDSF (Habithonistim)