Dear friends, Today, I am especially proud to share with you a substantial piece that was published today in The Tower titled, “Towards a Zionism of Inclusion.” This piece, which I hope will lead to discussions on the nature and future of Zionism, introduces several ideas, among them: 1. Zionism was, is, and will likely continue to be, on a steady trajectory of increasing inclusiveness. Contrary to those who say Zionism is an exclusivist ideology from the moment of its foundation, it was one of the world’s most inclusive national and political movements.” 2. The Zionist mechanism of inclusion is one of retelling and rewriting its story as if Zionism was always designed to include a previously excluded group. This mechanism is not one of simple assimilation, “multiculturalism,” or even the “melting pot.” It is a constant rewriting of the story of Zionism so that a new story emerges to erase the old, thus creating the sense that Zionism has always been able to include the previously excluded group.” 3. The Zionist mechanism is a constantly retold story. But, at any given moment, it is also a unified one. It is not a legalistic mechanism of “neutral” citizenship in a “neutral” state, where abiding by the law is the only requirement and all who abide by the law are equally included. The Zionist state believes in equality before the law, but Zionist inclusiveness works in a very different way: Zionist inclusiveness is about the story, not the law. In this piece, I recount the manner in which Zionism included previously excluded groups and argue that one day we could even imagine Muslims included in the Zionist narrative. I also remind the readers that it is important to note that Herzl’s own conception of Judaism was so secular and national that he felt religious Muslims, Christians, and Jews could all be Zionists. He thought the Jewish state should be akin to the French state, allowing people to have different religious faiths, or none at all. So, at least as conceived by Herzl, Zionism was not meant for the Jews alone, and non-Jews could partake in it.” To read the entire piece: thetower.org/article/towards-a-zionism-of-inclusion/
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 09:45:02 +0000
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