Showing posts with label Zionism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zionism. Show all posts

The Evolvement Of Zionism...And How The World Ignores It

1:38 PM by 
NOTICE: This article I submitted won in the finals of the Pro-Israel blog-off competition.

I did not write this article for Zionists. We are already aware of what we are. It was written for anti-Zionists who think they know what we are. However, if you are neither, then I hope you, too, will find this educational enough to help you decide whether Zionism is the real problem in the world or whether the lack of understanding of what it is in the rest of the world is the real problem.

For as long as I can remember being taught about Zionism as a child and adolescent, I do recall mainly learning about Political Zionism and Practical Zionism. These included; the reasons for Zionism during pre-State of Israel era and the "Return To Zion" (anti-Semitism, Pogroms, the Holocaust); the events leading up to the establishment of the State of Israel; the declaration of Israel's Independence; Socialist Israel (Kibbutzim); the details and success stories of every war that Israel has faced since the 1948 Independence War till the 1982 First Lebanon War; Agricultural and Technological accomplishments; the serious importance of maintaining Israel as a Jewish State, the only Jewish State in the world as well as Jewish unity; and of course the religious aspect of the Jewish ancestral right to the land and the need to return to it...

Being a Jew, the above reasons would become sufficient enough to convince me to make Aliyah. However, since living here for some time I have realized that Zionism has not only maintained its original stance of being "Patriotic to the Jewish State" but that it has also evolved in so many ways...

The definition of Zionism is "the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, advocated, from its inception, tangible as well as spiritual aims. The term 'Zionism' was coined in 1890 by Nathan Birnbaum." (source)

This definition, as any, just does not express enough the real meaning of what Zionism actually is today and what it means to me and so many others...



Most of the world has a very distorted impression of what Zionism actually is. This distorted view has sparked off the many anti-Zionist movements that we see today...The problem is that their out-of-context view of factual Zionist events from the past has left a stain on their real understanding of Zionism, its evolvement and what modern Zionism has become today... The categorization of Zionism as a form of Nazism, racism, land theft and Arab-oppression is a clear indication that the anti-Zionist movements of today do not understand the events leading up to the establishment of Israel and the events that followed in a relative manner... They also completely ignore the legality of Israels establishment as noted in UN Resolution 181... I believe they have indulged in too much Palestinian/anti-Israel propaganda...

The current misunderstanding of Zionism is that Zionists today are no different than the Zionists prior to the establishment of the State of Israel and after it. This is a false assumption... Our needs and goals have changed drastically. We have learned the lessons of our ancestral Zionists and the founders of our State... We have had the time to iron out the finer details of what we as Zionists want to bring to the world, not only to ourselves... The Zionists of yesterday focused all of their attention and energy on rescuing and protecting the Jewish people by means of Aliyah, defense and then finally the declaration of our Independence along with the founding of a proper moral defense army to protect its own, the IDF... As modern day Zionists, we share this same common goal but now we are not only fighting for our survival as a Jewish people, we are also fighting for the survival of our Jewish State, its legitimacy, and at the same time we are bringing new concepts, ideas and innovations into the world which benefit everyone.

Let us take a look at what yesterday's Zionism entailed and what it meant to the world...

-Zionism Of Hope
-National Zionism
-Patriotic Zionism

Waves Of Aliyot - Zionism Of Hope

  • Original Zionism as an ideology spread throughout various Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries during times of great oppression of the Jews. This lead to the first 5 waves of Aliyot mainly from these countries. The First Aliyah was also known as the "The Farmers Aliyah." These were the people who laid the foundation for some of Israel's (Palestine then) Jewish settlements, such as Rishon LeZion, Rosh Pina, Zikhron Ya'aqov and Gedera. These people also contributed to the development of already established towns such as Petach Tikva and Newe Tzedek.
  • The second wave of Aliyot were idealists who sought to establish a communal agricultural settlement system in Palestine. They were credited with the "Revival of the Hebrew language" and establishing it as the standard language for Jews in Israel. They became the first Zionists to establish the Kibbutz movement and in 1909 founded Degania, the first Kibbutz. Kibbutzim started off as Utopian styled communities based on socialism and Zionism and mainly focused on the development of agriculture and agricultural technology. They later developed into being the pioneers of many Agricultural and Technological developments that we, the world, use today. Although Kibbutzim evolved away from being the Utopian styled communities, their focus today is mainly on the development of technologies and research rather than the need for social development. After the establishment of the State of Israel, this social development played an important role in the successful collaboration of the many different immigrants from various cultures in order to indoctrinate the people into developing a single Jewish Israeli culture, the one that we know today. Considering the size of Israel and the amount of immigration Israel has seen, this indoctrination was an absolute necessity if the State of Israel wanted to successfully accomplish a united Jewish state and identity as well as Israeli nationalism. The second wave also created the first security organization called "HaShomer" which established the foundation of the Haganah, a Jewish paramilitary organization.
  • The third wave of Aliyot was pretty much a continuation of the second wave with one exception, they established some important institutions and organizations such as the General Federation of Workers or Histadrut which has become one of the most powerful institutions in the State of Israel. They also contributed to the founding of the Haganah.
  • The fourth wave of Aliyot did not see much of an influence to the already established movements, organizations and institutions but as they were mainly from middle class business and industrial backgrounds, they were the main reason for the further development of Tel Aviv into the city we know today.
  • The fifth wave of Aliyot, mainly caused by the rise of Nazi Germany, saw a mass influx of academics, doctors, lawyers as well as musicians who founded the Philharmonic Orchestra.  Some chose agricultural settlement and founded new Moshavim and Kibbutzim.
  • The sixth wave of Aliyot (Bricha) took place during the post-World War 2 period. It was a clandestine effort to help the Jewish Holocaust survivors escape Eastern Europe into British Palestine.

These six waves, although very similar in nature, saw the development of the State of Israel from the perspective of needing to escape anti-Semitism from their native countries. Their only intentions as far as Zionism was concerned was self-preservation and Jewish unity. Their reality consisted of nothing more than persecution, hatred, fear, oppression and the need to survive. Zionism was the only solution that would save them from all this. This level and definition of Zionism could be seen as "The Zionism of Hope".

Establishment Of The State And It's Defense - National Zionism

The six waves of Aliyot, which brought much hope to the Jewish people who were being severely oppressed, were in need of something more solid in order to assure their safety and the safety of the future Jewish population living in Palestine at the time.

During the British Mandate of Palestine, Britain would not allow opening Palestine to all Jewish refugees from Europe. In order to force the British to allow this, a Militant Zionist group called Lehi was formed in an effort to forcefully evict the British authorities from Palestine. Even though they were regarded as a "terrorist organization" by the British and later banned by the Israeli government, their intentions were solely to secure the safety of the Jewish refugees from other countries by allowing their immigration. They were, however, small in numbers.

Another Zionist Paramilitary group during the British Mandate of Palestine was called the Irgun. The British banned the immigration of more Jewish refugees from Europe so the intentions of the Irgun were to bring the millions of European Jews to Palestine and prevent them from being oppressed further. The Irgun oversaw the illegal immigration of these European Jews into the Land of Israel. The Irgun was also regarded as a "terrorist organization" by the British but after the establishment of the State of Israel it was relieved of that title. The Irgun sought to protect the Jewish people from the violent uprising of the Arabs towards Jews. Its policies included the right of every Jew to enter Palestine, the need for active retaliation to deter the Arabs and the understanding that only Jewish armed force would ensure the Jewish state. This policy needs to be understood relatively. They were later absorbed into the new Israel Defense Forces after Israel's declaration of Independence in 1948.

One of the larger Zionist paramilitary groups was called the Haganah, previously known as HaShomer, the defense organization established by the second wave of Aliyot. The roles of the Haganah included the protection of the Jewish people within Palestine against the many violent Arab revolts. Its members were trained and prepared for any external military attacks by surrounding countries. The Haganah later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.

The largest and most successful defense force of the Jewish people and the State of Israel was and still is the Israel Defense Force. From the establishment of the State of Israel until today, Israel has seen numerous wars instigated first by its internal Arab population and then through a continued instigation from its neighbouring countries and people. The need for the IDF became not only a right but also a complete necessity in order to defend the Jewish state. This wave of Zionism received more than 4000 volunteers from 56 countries to help fight in the War of Independence.

The IDF not only defended the Jews within the State but sought to bring the same protection to Jews in other countries. The IDF launched Operation Magic Carpet in 1949 and Operation Moses in 1984 to bring the oppressed Jews from Yemen and Ethiopia to the State of Israel where they could live freely and be permanently protected from any anti-Semitism and persecution.

While there may be some conflicts of interest between the various Zionist paramilitary groups, it is evident that all these groups shared a common goal, the protection of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. The Jews of the time needed this protection and most definitely needed the establishment of the State in order to assure their survival, nothing more. Their reality had moved from needing hope to securing hope by establishing their own national identity. This level and definition of Zionism could be seen as "National Zionism".

Protection Of The State And National Identity - Patriotic Zionism

Since its foundation, the State of Israel has been through many wars both on the battlefield and also in the political arena. Both required the constant dedication and commitment of the local population to defend the borders of the State as well as to fight the many political battles that Israel has faced over the decades and still faces today.

Mandatory military service was and still is a large part of this commitment. Citizens required constant affirmation that protection of the State was and still is Israel's first priority and that the battle to maintain Israels sovereignty and legitimacy is a completely legal and ethical one.

Patriotic Zionism also played a large role in the Zionist movements abroad whereby people such as myself were taught about Israel from a Patriotic perspective. In fact this level of Zionism was the highlight of everything I was taught regarding Zionism and Israel in general. Understanding the necessity to be patriotic to a country that I was not even born in and that I did not even live in yet became an instinct of second nature along with an unquestionable dedication to defend the State of Israel in any way possible from thousands of kilometers away. It's intention, I believe, was also to offer the diaspora Jews an opportunity to be a part of a Jewish national and international identity be it religious or secular. To be a part of the only Jewish State in the world.

The Zionists of yesterday understand the reality of the need to protect the State, as they felt first hand the wrath of the Arab revolts and uprisings before a solid foundation of Israel was established. Their reality moved from securing hope to securing the State and its people in every way possible. This level and definition of Zionism could be seen as "Patriotic Zionism". It is still very much in existence today.

The above forms of Zionism or "Original Zionism" as I like to call it, evolved solely around the preservation and protection of Jews both in and outside of the State of Israel. Protection of Israel's right to exist in the first place. However, people show mixed feelings about Original Zionism, while one shows inspiration and awe the other expresses hatred and disgust. I understand both, relatively, but only agree with the former. My understanding of this hatred towards Original Zionism is the understanding of the reasons people generally express. It usually stems from a serious lack of understanding of Jewish history and the history of Palestine as well as the assumption that Zionism is selfish due to it being almost exclusive to Jews. Before the State of Israel this assumption was accurate. Typical expressions such as "What is so special about Jews that only Jews should be saved?" arise. My response: "Jewish oppression has been the highlight of history. Nobody has ever and will ever look after the Jews, only Jews will look after the Jews, Zionism is the only thing that embraced the Jews. All actions to defend one's own family is deemed selfish, we just have a bigger family, wouldn't you do the same if it was your family in need of being saved?" Since the States founding, this assumption remains false.

Today we see many new forms of Zionism or New Age Zionism which has taken on not only Israel but also on the world. We have moved from the "selfish" act of needing to be saved and protected from the hands of anti-Semitism to the selfless want to bring all of our wonderfully creative ideas to the world and we have done just that.

Let us take a look at what Todays Zionism is and what it means to the world...

-Sympathetic Zionism
-Philanthropic Zionism
-Social Zionism
-Green Zionism
-Idealistic And Visionary Zionism




Helping Our Enemies - Sympathetic Zionism

Zionist Israel is probably the only country in the world and in history that has ever cared for, aided and assisted its own arch enemy on a daily basis for years on end.
  • Israeli settler wants to help Syrians with humanitarian aid. He says: "As neighbors, and a people who take pride in our Jewish values, Israel can assist in the form of humanitarian and medical aid and benefit from the Syrian revolt."
  • Palestinian children who had been diagnosed with cancer had the opportunity to visit Israel's ski resort in the Hermon, they were accompanied by their families and had a fun filled day with the IDF's Alpine Unit.
  • An IDF paramedic helped a Palestinian woman give birth inside a military ambulance. She called for help and the IDF responded to it even though the area she was in was unreachable by an ambulance. The IDF paramedics comment on this: "I just reacted to the situation as any human being would."
  • An Israeli helps Palestinians get access to better medical treatment. His comment: "Regardless of whether political or religious, I think that we are all human beings."
  • An Israeli doctor extends helping hand to sick Palestinians. The doctor's comments: "When we are coming to pick up the sick kids, the (Palestinian and Israeli) checkpoint managers help us a lot."
  • Israeli companies to help build a Palestinian city in the West Bank city of Rawabi.
  • Israel helps 300 Palestinians living in Libya, whose lives are endangered, into the Palestinian Authority-controlled area.
  • A Kibbutz built a dairy farm for Palestinians in Hebron.  A Palestinian said: "We turned to Kibbutz Afikim because the Israeli milk industry is No. 1 in the world, and we are happy to be able to use the knowledge and modernization of our neighbors to help us increase the amount of milk in the PA."
  • The IDF helps transfer Palestinian cucumbers.
  • An IDF soldier and settlers save a Palestinian baby's life. The soldier said: "They know we have a skilled medical team here, and in any case of accident or injury they arrive and we help them."
  • The Ministry of Agriculture helps Palestinian farmers improve their techniques. A Palestinian doctor said: "We live in the same climate and under the same conditions so we don’t try to avoid receiving help from the accumulated Israeli experience."
  • The IDF sends 14,000 tons of aid to Gaza.
  • The IDF sends humanitarian aid to Gaza during IDF operation to crackdown on Hamas. The aid was up 900% .
  • Israel helped about 150 Palestinians escape from Gaza after a bloody Hamas crackdown in Gaza. They were assisted in being relocated via Israel to Jericho.
  • Israelis help Palestinians harvest olive crops. One says: "I think what we do now is the way of peace. Palestinians and Jews work hand in hand on the trees and pick fruit together."
  • Israelis help Palestinian veterinarians fight avian flu. A doctor's comment: "This support sometimes helps us provide the Palestinians with services without charging them."
  • 1976, the IDF opens a section of the Lebanese border, known as The Good Fence, to allow medical and other aid to residents of southern Lebanon who stood in need.
The list goes on...

Which country, army or ideology will help its own enemies in wartimes and in moments of peace? A Zionist one!

Helping The Sick And Needy - Philanthropic Zionism

Zionist Israel helps more countries and people in need of medical and charity assistance than any other country in the world.
Zionist Israel is usually the first country to respond to natural disaster situations than any other country on the planet.

Helping With Social Development And Education - Social Zionism

Zionist Israel does everything it can to develop social understanding, skills and education between various cultures and religions including it's own enemies.
Which other country, that has as many enemies as we do, offers this amount of social and educational development to anyone who needs it including its own enemies? A Zionist one!

Helping The Environment - Green Zionism

Zionist Israel cares about more than people, it cares about the environment too, which either way directly or indirectly affects people anywhere on the planet.
Which country has ever developed and shown as much interest in environmental technology, to be shared with the world, as Israel has? A Zionist one!

Helping The Medical, Technological And Scientific World Develop - Idealistic And Visionary Zionism

Zionist Israel cares for people and their environment, and at the same time cares for every important scientific and technological field that exists in order to improve the lives of everyone on the planet via research and development.
Which country has shown as much skill and innovation in the scientific, medical and technological fields in order to change the world for the better? A Zionist one!



I still do not know how so many people in this world can completely ignore the true meaning of Zionism and how it has progressed from being a "selfish" ideology as seen from an outsiders perspective (originally exclusive to Jews during times when it was absolutely needed) to being a completely selfless reality that shows absolute care and concern for its own people and people of every country/culture/race/religion in the world. Ask yourself this question, would you not do the same for your own family and then once your own family is safe from harms way would you not want to do the same for everyone else?

It is time the anti-Zionist movements of the world start to wake up and realize their own ignorance and the lack of understanding of Zionism that they preach to their followers. They need to realize that we cannot take full responsibility for the actions of our forefathers, we also cannot judge their actions in a negative light without fully understanding the realities they came from and the absolute necessity to never re-live those experiences. The only people alive today that completely understand that reality are the survivors of the Holocaust as well as the original pioneers of our country who gave their blood, sweat and tears to defend the people from the constant Arab uprisings. Israel is here, Zionism exists but Zionism is no longer about the need to have our own State, we have our own State whether the world likes it or not, Zionism is about what we can bring to the world through our own people and State.

If Zionism is Nazism then please tell me what good Nazism ever brought to the world besides being banished? Then compare it to the enormous amount of things that Zionism has done for its own people and the world and you will find that you can never mention that awful word (Nazism) in one breath with Zionism again.

This being said, we can, and should take responsibility for our actions today and the actions of our future. Zionism is there for everyone, it should be the answer to every world issue and I do hope that one day it will be seen in this light.

Zionism has evolved! It is time for the rest of the world to acknowledge its evolvement!

Am Zionist Israel Chai!




(VIDEO) Iranian Propaganda: Mark Zuckerberg "The Zionist" Offered Prizes To Israelis Who Kill Palestinians

10:53 PM by 
Talk about some serious propaganda...and when exactly was Mark Zuckerberg ever a Zionist?

(h/t: JIDF)




(VIDEO) Libyan Rebel With "Star Of David" Tattoo: The Latest & Lamest Zionist Conspiracy Theory

1:12 AM by 
Its a 6 pointed star that looks like a Star of David but it has dots at every point of the star... either way its just a star... as though the Star of David has been patented by Jews or Israelis... can you say morons??



(VIDEO) Melanie Phillips: "Zionism Is Not The Enemy Of The Jews"

1:47 AM by 
It is hard to convey the sickening nature of this event, and not just because we lost. The sub-text of the motion was that the Jews are responsible for their own destruction; the real danger they are in comes not from Islamic terrorism, nor the attempt to ethnically cleanse the Jews from Israel, nor the rise in anti-Jewish feeling in Britain and Europe, but from the Jews themselves because the Israelis have turned into monsters. Thus the attacks on them, far from being deplored, are implicitly endorsed; and, to carry this thinking to its logical conclusion, the way to defend the Jews is to remove the source of the contagion — in other words, to destroy the state of Israel.





(NEWS) Iranian Students Threaten To Destroy Esther's Tomb

10:56 PM by 
"Protestors in Hamadan warn 'Zionist leaders' they'll 'destroy lowly murderers' mausoleum if Al-Aqsa mosque assaulted in any way'

A group of extremist Iranian students threatened to destroy the mausoleum of Queen Esther and Mordechai should Israel cause damage to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Ynet reported Sunday.

According to tradition, the tomb is located in the western Iranian city of Hamadan."





(NEWS) WZO Launches Global Effort To Fight Antisemitism

7:51 PM by 
"Project to keep database of Zionist activists, communicate with them regularly in English, French, Spanish, Turkish, Russian, and Arabic.

Dozens of students from 14 countries around the world joined together this weekend at a seminar in Paris that launched the World Zionist Organization's new Global Network for Countering Antisemitism.

The students and others like them will be the soldiers on the ground who report to the WZO about antisemitism in their countries and receive advice about how to tackle future incidents. To that end, the WZO launched a media room that will be in touch with activists around the world in several languages."





(NEWS) Rabbi Eliyahu: Islam Is 'Zionist,' It Promises Israel To Jews

8:03 PM by 
"Most Muslims today are not very knowledgeable in the basics of their religion, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tsfat, told Israel National News in an interview. The outspoken rabbi, son of the revered late Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, has been in the Israeli media recently, some villifying him over a ruling he gave against renting homes to Arabs.

'If Muslims were knowledgeable', he continued, 'they would realize that G-d has given the Land of Israel to the Jewish people, and they would stop fighting a historical imperative, and acknowledge what their own religious literature says – as the Arabs who fled Israel in 1948 did'.

'Mohammed says very clearly that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, and that G-d will gather them up out of exile at the end of days. This is true Islam; and Muslim clerics who say otherwise are using their religion to incite, and act against the wishes of G-d,' Rabbi Eliyahu says."





Related Article:

(ARTS) UK Rapper "Antithesis" Raps How He Is "Proud To Be A Zionist"

6:07 PM by 
Antithesis was born in South London. Music was in the family, his father had been a songwriter in his youth and his mother a keen dancer. At a young age, he took an interest in the new music phenomenon that was penetrating the pop charts – rap.

By the time he was 15 Antithesis had started writing short raps of his own. His friend gave him the name Antithesis as he is the opposite of a stereotypical rapper.



At 18 he decided to enter a song contest; the song performed had to be original lyrics and music, and had to be on a theme related to Judaism or Israel. Antithesis spent many hours with his producer ‘Tha Baron’ and came up with ‘Just Peace‘. Positive feedback from the judges and audience at what was his first live performance gave him the motivation to continue.

After school Antithesis took a gap year in Israel, taking part in the Machon L’Madrichei Chul programme. Just before going, he had heard Chaim Avraham, father of one of Israel’s Missing in Action soldiers, speak in London, and had been very moved. In Israel he heard him speak again and resolved to write a song about the soldiers’ situation in an attempt to raise the profile of the cause. The excuse to write it came when there was a talent show at the Machon and Antithesis wrote and performed ‘Ima Mechaka Babayit‘.

When Mr Avraham heard about the song, he instructed Antithesis to record it so it could be released and sold for charity, and as a result Antithesis paid his first visit to the studio. The song was a hit and saw radio play in Israel and England, in addition to exposure in the British and Israeli press. It was distributed independently on a small scale in England and sold very well.

Back in England, Antithesis took up his place to read Oriental Studies at the University of Cambridge. He continued writing, and in his first term wrote ‘Take a Minute‘, amongst other tracks. He tried to get funding to go back to the studio but found it difficult to secure support due to the unusual nature of the project. As a result in June of 2003 he decided to take things into his own hands, using all his personal savings to record the ‘The Israel Question’ EP, which went on sale at the end of the year with all profits going to charity.



Antithesis continued to write while at university but time for music was limited because of the demands of his course and other commitments; he was president of the Jewish Society and later the Israel Society, was heavily involved in the Federation of Zionist Youth (FZY) and founded the UK’s first Israeli music radio programme, Kol Cambridge, which was nominated for a BBC Student Radio Award. Of all the songs written during his time at university only ‘Ivrit, Daber Ivrit‘ was recorded (in late 2004). However during this time Antithesis gigged all over the UK, as well as in Israel, Argentina and the US, and was featured on the radio in Germany, Canada and France in addition to the aforementioned countries.

On graduating top of his year at Cambridge, Antithesis assumed the position of Mazkir (Executive Director) of the Federation of Zionist Youth, a full-time elected position. Just before starting the role the Second Lebanon War began and in response he recorded ‘Ima Mechaka BaBayit Part II‘ and ‘Yes to Peace, No to Terror‘. However it was not until finishing his term as Mazkir that Antithesis managed to return to the studio to complete his second EP, ‘United Kingdom of Racism’, which was released at the end of 2007.

After living for two and a half years in Geneva, Switzerland, Antithesis made aliyah in mid-2010 and currently lives in Tel Aviv. To date he has sold several thousand copies of his CDs and raised several thousand pounds for charity and continues to perform all over the world. He continues to write new material and new releases will soon be forthcoming!

Below is his hit single "Proud To Be A Zionist"



Check out the interview he had in Israel after the lyrics below.



Lyrics

Yo, it’s time to set the record straight
Fed up with all the man proclaimin all this hate
No room for debate, well hold up wait
Cos Antithesis comin to step up and state
Yo the movement of my people been getting this stick
Equated with racism and other bullish
And if you can’t see it – that’s just foolish
So shut up and listen, to my hip hop schooling
We talking freedom, emancipation
A home, a land for a persecuted nation
Liberation, democratisation
A dream fulfilled, a Jewish safe haven
2000 years this desire had lied
Dormant but restive – it never died
In the 1800s, it was brought to life with this
Movement of my people, proud to be Zionists

Hook

I’m a Zionist – and yes I’m proud
I’m a Zionist – so shout it loud
I’m a Zionist – that’s my vocation
I’m a Zionist – self-determination for the Jewish nation
I’m a Zionist – and I’ll never cease
I’m a Zionist – who just wants peace
I’m a Zionist – and I say it with poise
I’m a Zionist – if you are too, then make some noise!

Antithesis gotta give my props, respect
To the man who got this all going and rocked the set
To be honest though, there’s no way this verse’ll
Come close to doing justice to Theodore Herzl
Ben-Yehuda, course rocked the language tip
And I already showed him love on Ivrit Daber Ivrit
Ahad Ha’am represented for the people
A cultural centre was his ideal
A man of steel was my boy Jabotinsky
I wish I had time to stand and list the
Endless achievements of AD Gordon
Love the land was his plan, and it was awesome
The Lord was put forward by the man Rav Kook
His intellect and stature never done shook
That’s the look, so take pride in it
Pay respect with me, cos I’m proud to be a Zionist

Hook

I’m a Zionist, so give me my word back
There’s too many man, trying to turn that
Into something negative, something bad
I’m a Zionist who ain’t ashamed, I’m glad
That I support universal suffrage, free press
Only place in the Middle East to pass that test
Nothing less, cos we strivin for perfection
It’s a work in progress, like all other Western
Nations, but to be Zionist don’t equal extreme
Don’t make you obscene, unkind or unclean
What it means, is that you believe that the Jewish state
Has a right to exist, secure and safe
People livin without fear, living in peace
That’s the essence of a Zionist belief
No more beef, I’m done defining it
Join with me and shout that we proud to be Zionists

Hook

Here is an interview he had in Israel.



(EDU) The Amazing "Dror Israel" Educational Zionist Movement

11:59 PM by 
The Educators' Kibbutzim of the Dror Israel Movement are part of a multi-generation social movement established by the graduates of the HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed Youth Movement. The members of the kibbutzim aspire to realize the values of the youth movement they grew up on throughout their adult life.

The Dror Israel movement is a pioneer Zionist movement of educators that work in all sectors of society to strengthen faith in man and action in society and to actualize the values of equality, social alliance and social responsibility in everyday reality.



The movement members' way of life places the equality of the value of all people and the happiness of all people in the center. The members of the movement live in communal groups that help each individual shape his or her life in an active way.

The movement is composed of alliances of individuals and communal groups aiming to advance Israeli society through general education and friendly interpersonal communication.

The members of the movement act out of a sense of mission to realize the vision of the founders and fathers of the Zionist movement: Theodore Herzl, Berl Katzenelson, the members of the pioneer Zionist movements in the Holocaust and others.



The Lifestyle

The Educators Kibbutz is a new model of kibbutz for the Dror Israel Movement members that allows a communal lifestyle – mostly volunteering and educating. The purpose of these Kibutzim is to enable the contribution to society by means of education of children and youth, through the development of a variety of autonomous communal educational experiences of the members.
  • 30-100 educators live in every Kibutz in accordance to the local needs and the preferences of the groups.
  • Every Educators' Kibutz is responsible for the activities of 2000-4000 children and teenagers.
  • The Educators Kibutzim are spread all over the state of Israel – in the city and the countryside.

The members of the 'Dror Israel' Movement see the Educators' Kibutzim as a way of life that enables them to combine the choice to create an autonomous communal lifestyle with the commitment to an educational-social mission.

The national distribution of the Educators Kibutzim enables the Dror Movement to maintain common educational processes for the different Kibutzim and their members.

Activities in Israeli Society

The 'Dror Israel' Movement works in all parts and all sectors of Israeli society. Its' members educate around 200,000 children, youth and young people, in different frameworks – schools, youth clubs, activities in the 'HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed' youth movement and more. The educational activity uses a wide variety of ways and methods and both formal and informal pedagogical tools. The educational activity is intended for all the sectors of Israeli society: Jews – those born in Israel and new immigrants, Arabs, Bedouin, Druze, children and youth from different backgrounds in Israeli society. The Dror Movement sees working in all the sectors of Israeli society a top priority.

  • The educational activity of the members of the Kibbutzim includes:
  • Seminars for schools and educational organizations.
  • Activities in educational centers and institutions.
  • Running workers' rights centers for working youth.
  • Social activity coordinators and counselors in Jewish, Arab and Druze cities, towns and villages.
  • Coordinators and counselors in the activities of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed.
  • Leading youth delegations to the concentration and death camps in Poland.
  • Social guidance in Regional councils and schools.
  • Guiding in Museums.
  • Activities in schools and educational centers of the 'Dror Batey Chinuch' school network.
  • Jewish-Arab Co-existence activities.
  • Activities with refugees from the genocide in Darfur and the Sudanese Civil war.



To train its members, the Dror Israel Movement has many learning and discussion meetings. The meetings take place in different forums and give the educators the tools they need for the different educational activities they operate. Part of the training is done in cooperation with other bodies.

The Members

The Educators' Kibbutzim of the 'Dror Israel' Movement include over 1000 young people age 22-45 who are members of 60 groups spread throughout the country. The members work – as individuals and as groups – with a common goal to improve and change Israeli society. Every year, 100 new members that finish their civilian and military service join the Educators' Kibbutzim. The movement members' way of life is shaped and changed according to the decisions of the members of the groups in different areas of life. Membership in the Dror Israel Movement is based on the choice of the members and is renewed from time to time in accordance to the will of each member.

The members of Dror Israel work as educators in Israeli society out of the belief that education is a central component in shaping society. They put an emphasis on value based education, towards the equality of value of all people and to a humanism that calls for a change in society. This education stems from a faith that, in the words of Janusz Korczak, 'To fix the world means to fix education'. Since the field of education in Israel is not a rewarding one (in comparison both to other countries and to other fields in Israeli economy), this choice of the movement members has economical implications including the choice of a modest and mostly voluntary lifestyle.

Future Plans

Every year, 100 new members join the Educators' Kibutzim when they finish their civilian or military service.

This increase in the number of members raises the number of Educators' Kibbutzim and centers of activity and broadens the extent of the educational activities of the Dror Israel Movement.

In order to allow the continuation and expansion of the activities of Dror Israel they must –
  • Develop and deepen the educational activities run by movement members, mainly in weakened populations.
  • Create an infrastructure for the Educators Kibutzim – accommodation, existence and mobility.
  • Enhance the learning and training processes of the movement members.

They call all partners who believe in the power of education, in the power of values and the power of people to change the world and to make it a better place to contact them.

If you wish to visit Dror Israel - Please contact them at – contact@drorisrael.org.il



(NEWS) Expert: Islamists Hate Zionism, But Admire It

12:18 PM by 
"Islamic terrorist groups like Hamas and Hizbullah hate Zionism, but admire its success, says Dr. Uriya Shavit of the Dayan research center. The terrorist groups have even sought to mimic the Zionist success story in their own way, he told Arutz Sheva.

Islamic movements' hatred and opposition to the Jewish presence in Israel goes back for many years, longer than most realize, Shavit said. 'However, what is even less widely known is that for all those years, Islamists tried to copy Zionism, and almost admired it,' he declared.

Zionism began as a grassroots Jewish movement to return to the Jewish homeland in the land of Israel. While there were many Jews living in the region already, the Zionists were unique in that they wanted to create a Jewish state, and they were willing to give up comfortable lives in Europe, in the Arab world, and elsewhere in order to do so."





(BLOG) Dona Gracia Recognized As Zionist Hero In Beit Hanassi

3:50 PM by 
"Once the wealthiest woman in the world, Dona Gracia planned to establish an autonomous Jewish community in Tiberias.

She was more than 300 years ahead of Theodor Herzl in conceiving a movement whereby Jews would once again take possession of their spiritual homeland, and way ahead of Baron Rothschild in purchasing property in the Land of Israel, but only now is Dona Gracia, once the wealthiest woman in the world, being accorded her rightful place in Jewish history and the history of Israel.

Various novels have been written about her, with a blending of fact and fiction, but she has entered Israeli consciousness only in recent years."





(NEWS) Ahmadinejad: ‘Zionists, Go Back Where You Came From’

1:01 PM by 
"Netanyahu responds: 'We know how to properly defend ourselves,' after Iranian president addresses thousands of Hizbullah supporters in southern Lebanese village.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unleashed an anti- Israel tirade just four kilometers from the border on Thursday, telling thousands of Hizbullah supporters in Bint Jbail that the Zionists 'will not last long.'

'Bring defeat to the Zionists!' he declared, calling for 'Palestine' to be 'forcefully freed' and for the Zionists to go 'back where they came from.'"





(NEWS) Yemen Will Not Bow To "Zionist Pressure"

9:08 PM by 
"Information Minister Hassan al-Lawzi has said that the war with the Houthis in the north of the country and the protests demanding separation in the south were a result of foreign interference.

In an interview with Syrian newspaper al-Watan, al-Lawzi confirmed that the Yemeni government has strong ties with the United States.

'These ties protect Yemen from Zionist pressures', said Al-Lawzi, adding the relation between Yemen and the Unites states is developed to combat a joint threat, 'which is the crimes of al-Qaeda'.



'Pressures were put on Yemen to compromise the Arab unanimously and to establish relations with Israel', al-Lawzi said.

'Yemen's relations with the United States are strong, but not on the expense of the Palestinian people and national interests. Yemen went through bitter experiences of which the most dangerous was the export of revolutions', he stressed. 'However, it overcame that', he added.

What is happening in Iraq, Sudan, and Somalia shows that there were conspiracies to stress the 'Zionist entity' and others against Arab countries, including Yemen.

On the crisis between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, the minister said that the Qatari initiative was revived and that things were positive especially after the agreement with the Houthis on 22 detailed points of the six points that were agreed on earlier.

'The situations in Saada and Harf Sufyam, where clashes occurred, are not positive and stable', he stressed.

'The calls for separation in the south were a huge media act that was not yet represented by a leader with which the authority could hold dialogue', he noted.

He emphasized that the government, all ministers, and constitutional bodies complied with the clear instructions of the leadership regarding the importance of holding a successful dialogue and stressing peace in the different areas of Yemen. He refused the statements of British Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan in which he said that great dangers would occur if the state collapsed in Yemen.

Yemen is safe and solid, the minister highlighted. Foreign interference in the internal affairs of Yemen was not acceptable, he said.

He admitted that his country had great economic problems, saying that its main source was oil in the 1980s, which is decreasing. Major challenges facing the country were the large budget deficit, water shortage, poverty, and unemployment, he said." (source)



(NEWS) Hundreds Of Christians Bolster Jews As Settlement Freeze Ends

9:04 PM by 
"Hundreds of Christians from a dozen nations joined together with 3,000 Israelis on Sunday evening in the small Samarian Jewish community of Revava to mark the end of the self-imposed Jewish building freeze in the so-called West Bank.

The Christians were in Israel to participate in the annual International Christian Zionist Center (ICZC) Feast of Tabernacles celebration. The theme of this year’s feast was Genesis 22:17, where God promises Abraham that his 'seed shall possess the gates of their enemies.'



ICZC Director Jan Willem van der Hoeven thought it fitting that his group demonstrate their belief in that passage by physically standing with the people of Israel as they reversed that fateful decision to suspend Jewish building in Judea and Samaria in accordance with US and Arab demands.

'We as Gentiles tell you, be strong and of courage to possess the land,' van der Hoeven stated in the central Samaria town of Ariel, just prior to the rally in nearby Revava.

In Revava, the Christians with their bright banners and national flags were swarmed by the Israeli and international media before mingling in amongst the thousands of faithful Israelis from around the country who had come to strengthen the Jews of Judea and Samaria.

The Israelis seemed surprised, though very grateful, to see these foreigners in this isolated place and for this occasion. Most greeted the Christians warmly and many applauded loudly as the flags of various nations were marched in.

Likud MK and deputy minister for development in the Negev and Galilee, Ayoub Kara, who is an Israeli Druze, addressed the crowd in a fiery Zionist speech before turning to the Christians and saying:

'I say to all the non-Jews who are here, I too am not a Jew, but in spirit I am most Jewish, I am most Zionist, and so are you! Good for you that you are here to support Israel.'

Rising Likud star MK Danny Danon, who organized the rally, also took time during his speech to directly address the Christians (in English), saying:

'We salute you. We know that you love Israel unconditionally.'



Danon asked the foreigners to take the message back to their countries that Israel respects them, but insists that its own democracy and historical rights must also be respected. He then apologized to the Jews of Judea and Samaria that they had been treated like 'second class citizens' when they were told they could no longer build homes, schools or synagogues.

On Monday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stuck to his promise to allow the building freeze to expire on time, despite heavy American pressure to extend it. However, building permits are expected to be issued much more sparingly so as not to rock the diplomatic boat too much.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has been saying every day for the past month that if any Jewish building resumes in the areas he claims for a future state, then the current US-brokered peace negotiations will be over. Washington has been pressing Netanyahu hard to not let that happen, and both US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have hinted in no uncertain terms that if the peace talks break down, Netanyahu will be blamed.

Danon sought to remind Netanyahu that similar threats were made more than 15 years ago by former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. They insisted that if Jewish 'settlement activity' continued after the signing of the so-called 'Oslo Accords,' it would cause an international crisis for which Israel would be blamed.

But, Danon noted, Israel went on building, and Washington and the nations made some noise, but there was no crisis, there was no regional war.

Van der Hoeven and the ICZC are urging the Israelis to at the very least return to a situation where Judea and Samaria are actually disputed territories. By implementing building freezes and signaling constantly that Judea and Samaria are, as the Arabs claim, occupied, Israel can only blame itself when the world refuses to accept that these are ancient Jewish lands, said van der Hoeven.

The ICZC’s short term solution is for Israel to insist, constantly and adamantly, that Judea and Samaria are Jewish lands, and if there needs to be a Jewish building freeze while the issue is hashed out, then the Arabs must also stop building.

To learn more about the ICZC, visit: www.israelmybeloved.com" (source)



(NEWS) The ‘Zionist Regime’ Enters The UN’s Iranian Underworld

12:31 PM by 
"Reporter's notebook: ‘The Jerusalem Post?’ Ahmadinejad’s security man says incredulously. ‘You have to leave. And you know why!’

'Is the Ahmadinejad press conference really canceled?' I asked the woman behind the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit desk at the United Nations.

It was Thursday afternoon, and Ahmadinejad had just spoken to the General Assembly. A magazine journalist, Dave, and I had heard a rumor that the press conference was canceled, but wanted to make sure."





(NEWS) Ahmadinejad: US Orchestrated 9/11 To Save Zionist Regime

4:07 PM by 
"Iranian leader tells General Assembly 'era of capitalism is over due in no small part to attitudes, beliefs and 'global management, ruling structures.'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to the United Nations General Assembly Thursday, decrying 'the altar of Zionism' and saying that the September 11th attacks were orchestrated by elements within the US government in order 'to reverse the declining American economy and its grips on the Middle East in order also to save the Zionist regime.'

Ahmadinejad’s anti-Zionist remarks were a significant component of his speech, in which he asserted that the era of capitalism is over due in no small part to attitudes and beliefs and the 'global management and ruling structures.'"







(NEWS) Abbas: Israel Can Call Itself Jewish-Zionist Empire

4:08 PM by 
"After Netanyahu calls on Palestinian president to 'just say it – say yes to a Jewish state', Abbas answers that 'if Israel wants negotiations in which Palestinians recognize it, then it must also recognize Palestinian state'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas answered a demand by Israel to recognize it as a Jewish state somewhat sardonically, saying that as far as he was concerned, 'Israel can call itself… the Jewish-Zionist Empire'. Abbas spoke just before meeting President Shimon Peres in New York.

In an interview with the Palestinian Maan news agency Abbas said the state's character was 'not interesting', adding that 'if Israel wants negotiations in which the Palestinians recognize it, then it must also recognize a Palestinian state'."





(NEWS) Ahmadinejad: Iran Will Never Recognize 'Zionist Regime'

2:26 PM by 
"Iranian president makes comments on Israel, capitalism and the death penalty whilst on visit to New York for UN General Assembly.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to a group of Muslim figures in New York on Monday night, saying that 'The Iranian nation will never recognize the Zionist regime,' Fars News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Ahmadinejad went on to reiterate Iranian support for the Palestinians, as well as the Lebanese."





(NEWS) Im Tirtzu: Zionist Donors Must Start Thinking Differently

12:31 PM by 
"In Israeli politics, it has been the year of Im Tirtzu – the media-savvy Zionist students' movement that managed to create a true stir with a February campaign that exposed the New Israel Fund's dastardly doings before the Israeli public.

The campaign targeted NIF chair Naomi Chazan and received high-profile news coverage. Im Tirtzu's research focused on the NIF's complicity in the Goldstone Report that attacked the IDF for its 'Cast Lead' Gaza operation. The NIF came under fire in Israel and in Jewish communities worldwide. Used to being ignored by the leftist media and to waging losing battles, Zionist pundits were ecstatic at the new movement's successes.

A few months later, Im Tirtzu was back with another report – this time about the overwhelming proportion of radical leftists in Ben Gurion University's Political Science Department. Again, the media was full of the story."





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