What Do Zionists Believe? (What Do We Believe?)

This is an excellent introduction to understanding the historical meaning of 'Zionism'. Shindler is keenly aware of the misuses and misunderstandings which have characterized much of contemporary political discourse in relation to 'Zionism'. The distortions of the extreme left who see Zionism as a form of colonialism and of the Islamists who see it as the major force responsible for their own deprivations are pointed out at the outset. Schindler is aware of the deep religious and political roots of the Jewish people's connection with the land of Israel. 'Zionism' which is the modern political expression of an ancient yearning has taken a number of different forms as Schindler explains. " Zionism was a movement of national liberation, modeled on nineteenth century European nationalism and the French revolutionary tradition. It sought to both normalize and modernize the situation of the marginalized Jewish people. For the religious it was the beginning of the redemption and the onset of the messianic age. For Marxist Zionists it was an opportunity to rectify the abnormal socio- economic structure of the Jews in the Diaspora by settling them on the land. For idealists and dreamers , it was the construction of a perfect society based on socialist theory merged with themes of social justice cemented in the biblical teachings of the prophets. Others ridiculed all this as utopian and proposed a modern technological - capitalist state. The Hebrew Republic which arose as the state of Israel in May 1948 embraced all these possibilities. " Schindler does a masterful job in tracing the 'Zionist idea ' over two millenium. He also makes clear the fundamentally peaceful intentions of the Zionist movement, and the central part the repeated refusal of the Arab community to accept the Jewish one has played in the conflict over the Holy Land. Schindler does not go into detail in describing the great achievements of the Zionists in reviving the Hebrew language,in absorbing over two millions immigrants from over eighty countries, in building a modern state. Nor does he does he provide a close picture of the challenges Zionism and the Jewish people are facing today. But in showing the basic developments of this complex phenomenom he does show how it has been a central idea of Jewish history and faith - a just cause- which through hard work, and sacrifice has been brought to considerable fruition. His own take on 'Zionism ' if I understand him correctly is close to that of traditional Labor Zionists- a most liberal conception which at present would aim for a peace based on 'two states for two peoples'. It is possible to quarrel with him on this idea, but not on the quality of this fascinating summary of a concept so often misunderstood in our time.