Ever-increasing antisemitism has already jump-started immigration to Israel, and what is now a steady stream of immigration will soon become a flood.
The unstoppable wave of antisemitism is ironically creating the conditions for the final Redemption of the Holy Land and of the Jewish people in the Holy Land.
Interesting essay. It definitely invites some observations.
The author states “the Holy Land was a . . . crossroads for the three monotheistic religions”. It is popular to refer to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity as monotheistic. Monotheism holds as its central tenet that there is one and only one indivisible God. The central concept of Christianity is the Trinity. It postulates three gods. The Eastern and Western Catholic rites hold as doctrine of faith that these are three distinct and separate divinities, which, by definition is polytheism. The Protestant denominations largely hold that the three divinities ultimately resolve into one, which is the definition of henotheism, a theological doctrine also held by Hinduism with its million gods who are all believed to be emanations of Krishna. Thus, Christianity is not a monotheistic religion at all. Good reason for Jews not to subscribe to that religion despite its many gentle urgings over two thousand years.
“everyone knows [their debt to the olim], whether they believe in the God of Israel or not."
Another questionable theological claim vigorously promoted by the dominant Western religion to delegitimize Judaism as it reduces it to a mere tribal cult. The author's own statement, “the land was promised by the Creator to Abraham” is Judaism's clear declaration that God is a Universal God. What Judaism does hold is that He had a special relationship with Jews codified in the Covenant, Torah, and the inheritance of a Promised Land in perpetuity.
Several times the author alludes to Zionism as if it were a phenomenon only sprung up in the late 19th century, saying: “non-traditional Jews belonging to the Zionist movement, meaning nationalistic and socialist” and “These New Jews, nationalistic in the way that characterized vast swaths of the European intelligentsia of the time [of course, there was also the Jewish enlightenment, called the Haskalah], focused their efforts on the far Levant, the Zion of yore”, and lastly, “the great Zionist reclamation project.”
Reading Jewish history, it may be safe to claim that Zionism first appeared when God promised Abraham a land that would belong to his descendants forever. It appears later in Psalm 137, by the prophet Jeremiah: “If I forget thee O Jerusalem . . .” and is reiterated in later writings after subsequent conquests and ethnic cleansing of Jews from our Homeland.
Nineteenth century Zionism is a political manifestation of this longing to return. And this form of Zionism had many forms: religious, socialist, Marxist, communist, capitalist, Nationalist, New Age, a blend of these, and others. In other words, Zionism is over 4,000 years old, but Jews and non-Jews tend to only focusing on the latest, contemporary iteration. Doing so feeds all our enemies who argue Israel is merely an artificial Zionist project colonizing, settling, “genociding” its real, indigenous inhabitants, thus illegally erasing their Muslim nation state which goes back to paleolithic times.
Lastly, the statement “Sexual promiscuity and deviancy, along with child sacrifice, were the ancient norm” opens up a veritable Pandora's box of problems because what Torah says about some practices, the way the text has been translated, interpreted, and commented upon by Rabbis can objectively be demonstrated to in places directly contradict what Torah actually says. However, this is not the time nor the place to get into the ins and outs of Biblical exegesis and digesis.
Well...Puck, thank you for the thoughtful comment. I embrace much of what you have to say to the extent that I now think the piece needs a thorough re-write. However, Zionism is Zionism, and begins with Herzl. As I have written elsewhere, Zionism--the word, the idea, the dream, the reality--is beautiful.
Toda raba for your kind response. I think we only differ in definition of the term "Zionism".
Herzl proposed a political solution to the relentless persecution of the Jewish People, that of returning to their native, ancestral homeland as they had done several times before.
The problem with restricting Zionism to a merely political movement is two fold. Firstly, it ignores the historical intense yearning down through the ages of Jews for a restoration of our homeland, Eretz Israel.
Secondly and more threateningly, if Zionism is just a political construct, then it is artificial and can be rectified by eliminating the ideology behind it and its physical manifestation, the state of Israel, much as soviet style national communism was eliminated with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Therefore, I argue, it is dangerous to promote Zionism as a 19th century political ideology rather than a continuation of millennial Jewish national yearning, identity, experience, and history.
Fairly for you were a stranger in a strange land. And Israel does treat it's Muslim minority fairly. As opposed to Muslim lands who treat their Muslim majority tyrannically and who drove out their Jewish minorities.
Wow!
This is music to my ears and a balm to my soul.
Thank you.
Wonderful essay. And thank you. Chanukah Sameach.
What a powerful and beautiful essay!
Ever-increasing antisemitism has already jump-started immigration to Israel, and what is now a steady stream of immigration will soon become a flood.
The unstoppable wave of antisemitism is ironically creating the conditions for the final Redemption of the Holy Land and of the Jewish people in the Holy Land.
🤦♂️
And I thought the age of prophecy had ended!
Interesting essay. It definitely invites some observations.
The author states “the Holy Land was a . . . crossroads for the three monotheistic religions”. It is popular to refer to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity as monotheistic. Monotheism holds as its central tenet that there is one and only one indivisible God. The central concept of Christianity is the Trinity. It postulates three gods. The Eastern and Western Catholic rites hold as doctrine of faith that these are three distinct and separate divinities, which, by definition is polytheism. The Protestant denominations largely hold that the three divinities ultimately resolve into one, which is the definition of henotheism, a theological doctrine also held by Hinduism with its million gods who are all believed to be emanations of Krishna. Thus, Christianity is not a monotheistic religion at all. Good reason for Jews not to subscribe to that religion despite its many gentle urgings over two thousand years.
“everyone knows [their debt to the olim], whether they believe in the God of Israel or not."
Another questionable theological claim vigorously promoted by the dominant Western religion to delegitimize Judaism as it reduces it to a mere tribal cult. The author's own statement, “the land was promised by the Creator to Abraham” is Judaism's clear declaration that God is a Universal God. What Judaism does hold is that He had a special relationship with Jews codified in the Covenant, Torah, and the inheritance of a Promised Land in perpetuity.
Several times the author alludes to Zionism as if it were a phenomenon only sprung up in the late 19th century, saying: “non-traditional Jews belonging to the Zionist movement, meaning nationalistic and socialist” and “These New Jews, nationalistic in the way that characterized vast swaths of the European intelligentsia of the time [of course, there was also the Jewish enlightenment, called the Haskalah], focused their efforts on the far Levant, the Zion of yore”, and lastly, “the great Zionist reclamation project.”
Reading Jewish history, it may be safe to claim that Zionism first appeared when God promised Abraham a land that would belong to his descendants forever. It appears later in Psalm 137, by the prophet Jeremiah: “If I forget thee O Jerusalem . . .” and is reiterated in later writings after subsequent conquests and ethnic cleansing of Jews from our Homeland.
Nineteenth century Zionism is a political manifestation of this longing to return. And this form of Zionism had many forms: religious, socialist, Marxist, communist, capitalist, Nationalist, New Age, a blend of these, and others. In other words, Zionism is over 4,000 years old, but Jews and non-Jews tend to only focusing on the latest, contemporary iteration. Doing so feeds all our enemies who argue Israel is merely an artificial Zionist project colonizing, settling, “genociding” its real, indigenous inhabitants, thus illegally erasing their Muslim nation state which goes back to paleolithic times.
Lastly, the statement “Sexual promiscuity and deviancy, along with child sacrifice, were the ancient norm” opens up a veritable Pandora's box of problems because what Torah says about some practices, the way the text has been translated, interpreted, and commented upon by Rabbis can objectively be demonstrated to in places directly contradict what Torah actually says. However, this is not the time nor the place to get into the ins and outs of Biblical exegesis and digesis.
Well...Puck, thank you for the thoughtful comment. I embrace much of what you have to say to the extent that I now think the piece needs a thorough re-write. However, Zionism is Zionism, and begins with Herzl. As I have written elsewhere, Zionism--the word, the idea, the dream, the reality--is beautiful.
Ehud,
Toda raba for your kind response. I think we only differ in definition of the term "Zionism".
Herzl proposed a political solution to the relentless persecution of the Jewish People, that of returning to their native, ancestral homeland as they had done several times before.
The problem with restricting Zionism to a merely political movement is two fold. Firstly, it ignores the historical intense yearning down through the ages of Jews for a restoration of our homeland, Eretz Israel.
Secondly and more threateningly, if Zionism is just a political construct, then it is artificial and can be rectified by eliminating the ideology behind it and its physical manifestation, the state of Israel, much as soviet style national communism was eliminated with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Therefore, I argue, it is dangerous to promote Zionism as a 19th century political ideology rather than a continuation of millennial Jewish national yearning, identity, experience, and history.
I appreciate this article with the rest of these readers! Thank you!
Now this is an excellent post. But then, anything with G-d at its center is. Thank you.
ken yehi ratzon...
thank you!
chanukah sameach
But how did Yahweh expect the returnees to treat the Moslems in the HOLY LAND?
Fairly for you were a stranger in a strange land. And Israel does treat it's Muslim minority fairly. As opposed to Muslim lands who treat their Muslim majority tyrannically and who drove out their Jewish minorities.
With respect as fellow believes in G-d, and on the whole they did and do.
But they are being killed every day in Gaza and the West Bank Please read Haaretz the Tel Aviv daily paper. Johanan