Can Zionist Israel survive?

In 1944 Hannah Arendt predicted Zionism’s self-destruction in an essay ‘Zionism Reconsidered’ in which she explained Zionism and the colonial project of creating an exclusively Jewish state in what was then Palestine, to ‘recreate’ the biblical Israel, in reaction to the World Zionist Organisation’s congress’s call ‘for a Jewish state covering the entire territory of Palestine, without any division or reduction.’ Arendt commented that this was a triumph for an ultra-nationalist stance:

“This is a turning point in Zionist history; for it means that the Revisionist programme, so long bitterly repudiated, has proved finally victorious. The Atlantic City Resolution goes even a step further than the Biltmore Programme (1942), in which the Jewish minority had granted minority rights to the Arab majority. This time the Arabs were simply not mentioned in the resolution, which obviously leaves them the choice between voluntary emigration or second class citizenship.

Nationalism is bad enough when it trusts in nothing but the rude force of the nation. A nationalism that necessarily and admittedly depends upon the force of a foreign power is certainly worse… the Zionists, if they continue to ignore the Mediterranean people and watch out only for the big faraway powers, will appear only as their tools, the agents of foreign and hostile interests. Jews who know their own history should be aware that such a state of affairs will inevitably lead to a new wave of Jew hatred; the anti-semitism of tomorrow will assert that Jews not only profiteered from the presence of the foreign big power in that region but had actually plotted it and hence are guilty of the consequences.”

The quote is from a long, 15,000 word essay cited in tripleampersand.org which warns of the dependence of foreign powers for its continued existence, a dependence which today is realised with the American and European support for Israel, the objective being a ‘free and democratic Jewish commonwealth… [which] shall embrace the whole of Palestine, undivided and undiminished’, allowing the destruction of what remains of Palestine and the Palestinian people at great financial expense to the supporting nations, America being the greatest financial and military supporter, but the contribution from other nations is not insignificant.

The continued denial to include Palestinians in any negotiation in the formation (and defence) of the state of Israel has resulted in war after war, conflict in borders which remain decidedly ‘rubbery’ as more and more territory is seized, the slogan ‘from the river to the sea’; the rallying cry for continued expansion. The unanswered question is ‘which river?’ – is it the Jordan or the Euphrates?

Another issue raised in the essay is regarding anti-semitism, again, quoting Arendt:

“Of equal importance occasioned has been the question, always open, as to what Jews should do against anti-semitism: what kind of fight or explanation the new national movement, which had after all been occasioned by the anti-Jewish agitation at the end of the century, could and would offer. The answer to this, since Herzl’s time has been an utter resignation, an open acceptance of  anti-semitism as a ‘fact’, and therefore a ‘realistic’ willingness not only to do business with the foes of the Jewish people but also to take propaganda advantage of anti-Jewish hostility.”

Part of the conundrum of the Israeli question is that on the one hand they decry anti-semitism, yet appear to be strange bed-fellows with the very people they accuse of being anti-semitic, the same a hundred years ago as it appears now. An interesting video uploaded recently (and for some reason removed) showed people being asked ‘America first or Israel first?’, and some answers were for Israel first, others America first, others refused to consider the question. Those ‘grabs’ were the opening to an interview which highlighted the amount of money sent to Israel by the supportive United States, including the provision of armaments and military support.

According to the video the USA sends $18 Billion to Israel, mainly in support of the provision of services such as Health, Education, Housing and free medical insurance for all Israelis, and weapons, heaps of weapons, but what does the average American get in return, again, according to the video, NOTHING. The clip went on to comment about the funding of politicians as they campaign, and those who are supportive of Israel are better funded than those who have been critical. Due to American largesse, Israelis have, according to the video, a higher standard of living than the average American enjoys.

The challenge posed is to ask ‘Why?’

With the current war against Iran, it is again interesting, essential to ask the question ‘Why?’, as the actions being taken against Iran are having a devastating impact on not just the American economy, but the global economy. The accusation of anti-semitism dies nor wash too well when we look not just at the devastation occurring today, but to go back from there to the devastation caused in the Middle East since the declaration of the nation state of Israel in 1948. The support, not just from the USA but from so many western countries, starting with Britain through the Balfour Declaration, wars conducted by, and started by Israel to assert their power, using military equipment and ammunitions from the west, the continued veto power in the UN to avoid criticism of Israel or even the acknowledgement of the rights of Palestinians, even the recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state agreement is denied through the USA’s power of veto in the UN.

Another important question, to which there is not yet a ready answer, is how much longer will US (and western) support for Israel continue? How much longer will Americans fail to look beyond the special needs of Israel, the continued wearing of the victim badge, the reminder of the holocaust, the reminder of pogram after pogram which marginalised Jews in Eastern Europe, in Russia. That Jews were blamed for inciting the violence of both the attempts at revolution and the successful revolution which saw the overthrow of the Tzar, and any other bad thing that could be thrown at them. (The 1905 attempt to ‘democratise’ Russia is the back-story to the play ‘Fiddler on the Roof’). And yes, the marginalisation and persecution of Jews was a real thing, there is no attempt to deny that, but so many of the issues which led to Jewish marginalisation, as well as so many other forms of discrimination, have been dealt with in the aftermath of WWII. The other targets of the holocaust included Gypsies, Jehovahs Witnesses, homosexuals, people with mental disabilities… the list was a long one, but somehow we are only ever reminded that six million Jews died at the hands of the Nazi regime.

The immediate response to the horrors of the holocaust was to draw up the UN Declaration of Human Rights, yet we see since that declaration, the most vocal ‘victims’ are denying the very rights written to protect them and other marginalised people are waging genocidal wars and now attacking Iran, Lebanon and Palestinians in the West Bank, for fear of being victimised again. The victim bullies, throws the first punch, kicks when the ‘enemy’ is down, to not be a victim again.

Along the way, we see that Israel has managed to be the only nation in the Middle East to not be signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement, yet is rumoured to have a substantial nuclear arsenal. Iran is signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement and has consistently claimed not to be building a nuclear weapon, but having enriched uranium for power generation and other peaceful purposes. Israel claims – Netanyahu has consistently claimed – that Iran had nuclear weapons ambitions, but without evidence. Because of that unsubstantiated claim, despite the repeated assertion that Iran is not about to build a ‘bomb’, the US has been suckered into another middle eastern war to support Israel against a perceived threat. Or could it be that President Trump was suckered in, since the war, or adventure, is without the proper authorisation of the US Congress. Could it be, that as rumoured with Putin, that Netanyahu has some compromising information gleaned by the Israeli ‘spy’, Jeffery Epstein?

At what point will those western governments which have the stood firmly behind Israel, and particularly the US, continue to, seemingly unconditionally support Israel, and how long will particularly the American public continue to support the erosion of their living standards when their wealth, the tax dollars they contribute, prop up the living standards of Israelis to continue the ethnic cleansing ‘from the river to the sea’. (But which river?)

An important question for each of us is whether being humanitarian is being anti-semitic, or is it possible to respect the lives of all people, no matter what their national identity, their ethnicity, their sexual self-definition or even their political ideology? Even Jews? Even Muslims? Even who ever else we are asked to hate… What is the current target for the likes of Pauline Hanson? That has shifted according to the wind direction.

Quoting again from the essay… (Written before the current Israel/US/Iran war.)

“Looking at the current situation in Israel and Palestine, following the recent vicious attack by the military wing of the Islamist movement Hamas in Israel on October 7 and the government’s crushingly brutal response, it is important to revisit one of Arendt’s most significant  works within her ‘Jewish Writings’ that confronts the ontology of Israel as a Jewish State. This revisitation aims to better understand the complex and challenging situation that has persisted in the region since May 14, 1948, the day Israel declared itself a sovereign Jewish State. Reflecting on this history, it appears that May 15, the subsequent day marking the start of the first Arab-Israeli war, has been akin to a Groundhog Day for the world observing this modern-day biblical drama.”

The drama has extended its border, the costs, currently born by the USA could well cripple the global economy, but more significantly be the coffin nail that ends the American Empire.

Keep Independent Journalism Alive – Support The AIMN

Dear Reader,

Since 2013, The Australian Independent Media Network has been a fearless voice for truth, giving public interest journalists a platform to hold power to account. From expert analysis on national and global events to uncovering issues that matter to you, we’re here because of your support.

Running an independent site isn’t cheap, and rising costs mean we need you now more than ever. Your donation – big or small – keeps our servers humming, our writers digging, and our stories free for all.

Join our community of truth-seekers. Please consider donating now via:

PayPal or credit card – just click on the Donate button below

Direct bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969

We’ve also set up a GoFundMe as a dedicated reserve fund to help secure the future of our site.
Your support will go directly toward covering essential costs like web hosting renewals and helping us bring new features to life. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us keep improving and growing.

Thank you for standing with us – we truly couldn’t do this without you.

With gratitude, The AIMN Team