Haim Ben-Asher Zionist Illusion

Annotation

What is the use of Zionism?To restore our pride as Jews, comes the ready answer. Now just whendid we lose this precious pride? Could it be that, without the Stateof Israel, Zionists might be ashamed of being Jews? And how canone be proud of a country that drops white phosphorous bombs ondefenseless civilians?Instead of combating anti-Semitism, Zionism cultivates it. Anessential dogma of this new creed is that anti-Semitism is immutableand permanent. Zionists claim that we are still in 1938, and that anew Holocaust is in the offi ng. Every passing year becomes a yearof broken glass. So we must rally around the State of Israel, whichalone can save us. A fear-based religion allows Jewish leaders in theDiaspora to retain power over their flock.To free themselves from such blackmail, to break out of the viciousAuschwitz-Israel circle, Jews have only to disconnect from Zionismand take up their historic vocation: explaining Torah to the nations. But first, they will have to understand it themselves.Haim Ben-Asher is a historian.