How the Israeli government is betraying Zionism

How the Israeli Government Is Betraying Zionism

“Betrayal” aptly describes the actions of Israel's current ruling coalition against the core spirit of Zionism. There is hope that the end of the Gaza war might offer Israel a chance to halt this dangerous trend.

German historian Michael Brenner emphasizes the original vision of Zionism's founders, spanning the political spectrum, who imagined a democratic Jewish state. Their ideals stand in contrast to the current leadership's failure to protect those under their care in Jerusalem.

Prominent Zionist figures—Theodor Herzl, David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, and Vladimir Zeev Jabotinsky, the ideological founder of the right-wing Likud party—remain visible in Israel through portraits. Yet, paradoxically, their ideas are more betrayed today than ever before by those in power.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing, religious coalition have strayed from fundamental Zionist principles. Their policies contribute to the growing disrepute of Zionism, even among its traditional supporters. Critics accuse Zionism of being synonymous with racism and colonialism, but it is important to separate the founders' ideals from the actions of their successors.

“To understand what Zionism is, we must remember what it once meant to many millions of Jews.”

The betrayal of Zionism's founding principles weakens its legacy and harms the democratic vision originally intended for the Jewish state.

Author’s summary: The Israeli government’s current policies betray Zionism’s original democratic ideals, risking widespread disillusionment with its founding vision.

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