Recently, a man introduced himself to me as an ardent Zionist. He put a subtle but noticeable emphasis on the word ardent. Later, I came across the reference to an ardent Zionist in my reading. Then I heard a scholar reference ardent Zionism in an interview. Since Zionism is an important topic, the recurring ‘ardent’ descriptor caught my attention. The pattern is more than consistent use of a nice adjective. It is like a secret handshake.

The world’s is leaning ever more to the right and dismissing meaningful democracy. A prime feature of this global shift is nationalism. This shift is obvious in America and in Israel, individually and together. This independent analysis starts from the generally held view that Israel’s nationalism is defined and pursued through Zionism. Israel’s Zionism is such a force that the spell checker demands a capital Z. Ardency puts extra zest on all this.

The Ardent Zionist Gets His Mojo from the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917

The establishment of Zionism as a nationalistic political movement with world implications came in the World War One era.  Since its beginning, there has been ongoing consternation about politics usurping religion and treatment of Jews outside of Israel.

The mysterious Balfour Declaration is a milestone that came at the end of World War One, at once an answer and a conundrum. Due to this declaration, it is fair to say the world is still experiencing the effects of the Great War. Whether you think the effects are good or bad essentially depends on how you see Israel’s current war on Gaza. The Arab-Israeli conflict became “official” back then and it is ongoing still.

From Wikipedia: The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British Government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small minority Jewish population.

Here is Britain’s sixty-seven word one-sentence declaration in its entirety. “His Majesty’s Government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”

British imperialism provided this pompous, vague, and ill-conceived declaration.

One might question whether Britain legitimately had this authority. Then one can wonder how many times the land has been given away, and whether they actually gave birth to antisemitism. Plus, what was the motivation? Some accounts say the deal was sealed over the satisfaction of war-time needs and desire for regional control. This seems a lot like today. Then as now, religion is the secondary yet important factor, called in for final decisions as needed. An interesting view on the Balfour Declaration can be gleaned from this podcast/transcript; it provides an ardent Zionist perspective. Near the end it concedes that, despite any unfairness or previous agreements, it has always been their Holy Land.

If Zionism in America were a Cancer, We Would Be at Stage Four

Given that Zionism is Israeli nationalism, and nationalism is inherently anti-democratic, why does America co-own and subsidize it? The answer lies with failed leadership and their conflicted priorities. Proponents of the old Balfour declaration say it enabled the first democratic state in the Mid-East region, but Israel is no longer operating as a democracy.

Back to the man who introduced himself to me as an ardent Zionist; I engaged him at an event entitled ‘White Christian Nationalism: Politics Masquerading as Religion’. He made it plain he was there to encourage Christians toward Zionism, which was contrary to the intent of the conference.

A Sad and Dangerous State of Affairs

Zionism molded Israel into what it is today, a fascist state driven by racism to cleanse and control its place in the Mid-East. Over time, they have appealed to international justice and the United Nations to support their interests. But now these same civil agencies have no sway with Israel. Why does America so blindly support them?

Reading and research has helped the writer better understand Zionism. I take care to distinguish between the state of Israel, for which Zionism is a tool, and the Jewish people. People the world over care for Jews and make this differentiation, which Israel does not appreciate. Israel’s new considered step is to “turn the Israel-basher into a Jew-basher.” The idea is to promote Zionism as the new version of Judaism. This smacks of desperation.

The Ardent Zionist Has Lost Her Chance to Follow the Common Man’s Advice

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” The relevance of this advice falls apart if you have no friends and you have made everyone your enemy. The world would not be an enemy to Israel if not for their atrocious behavior, enabled by America. Israel is indifferent to being a pariah state and seems to have a death wish. By proxy, it is the same for the USA.

So, is Israel being allowed to take America down or simply keeping it from finding its democratic footing? Please excuse that there are so many questions and not enough answers.