A (Women’s) Zionist Manifesto for 2024

At the first Zionist Congress in 1897, women did not have speaking rights or voting rights.

To “rectify” that anomaly, in March, the Jerusalem Municipality, in partnership with the major women’s organizations in the country, held the first Women’s Zionist Congress. I had the privilege to be invited and to hear from some remarkable women, including Sarit Sussman, the proud mother of fallen soldier Ben Sussman z”l, who spoke poetically and spiritually, breaking through her grief, and released hostage, Danielle Aloni, who spoke uncompromisingly, with clarity and strength about her captivity – their stories were both harrowing and uplifting.

The event was powerful and meaningful but it was not a Zionist Congress. What “Zionism” was articulated at the Congress and what made it “Women’s”?

I began to compose my speech, had I been invited to give one, that would explain why I was there, why Zionism still matters and why women’s Zionism might differ from that of men – in short, why I would attend a Zionist Women’s Congress.

As I will not be delivering this speech at a Congress, I offer it to you to mark Yom Haatzmaut.

Dear Sisters,

What an honour it is to be with you today to mark a truly historic occasion. We are the first women who have been given the opportunity to reshape Israeli society by bringing our reflections on the past, our life-experiences and our visions for the future into an arena that has been dominated by men’s ways of thinking and doing for over 12 decades.

“Zionism” was a term coined by men. Histories of Zionism rarely include mention of women, even though the achievement of the Zionist vision could not have been reached without the contributions of women such as Henrietta Szold, Hannah Meisel and Ada Maimon Fishman, not to mention Sarah Aronsohn and the dozens who fought with the Hagannah. Israeli culture would not be what it is without Naomi Shemer, Zelda or Leah Goldberg.

Israeli society’s survival since October 7^th, 2023 has been dependent on women.

In this atmosphere of uncertainty about our future, it is a time for reflection and re-thinking. If the women of the past were not able to articulate a uniquely female perspective on Zionism, mainly because they were so busy advocating just for the right to participate and be heard, this is not so today. Even though Israeli has one of the worst records of a developed country in terms of female political representation, we do have women thought-leaders, academics and philosophers. Women do think and talk. The enormously strong women in my past and in my circles today have helped and continue to help me to view Zionism through a different lens – a female lens.

My female (feminist) Zionist manifesto of 2024 consists of the following principles:

1. The return of the Jewish people to its historic homeland is an act of national self-realization that is unprecedented in history. No other exiled nation has returned en masse after such a long absence. Due to our absence of nearly 2000 years, it was to be expected that others would settle and work the land. The return to our homeland inevitably caused displacement of the people who had settled here in our absence. Our failure to take this into account has caused great suffering to both parties: the returning Jewish people and the displaced Palestinians. My Zionism obliges me to seek a resolution that allows both peoples their national self-expression and political autonomy.
2. The Nineteenth Century concept that a nation-state is the best model for national self-realization and political autonomy should be re-examined in light of the above and also because Israel has failed to create a political model that allows proper political representation of its population in the government or accountability of political leaders towards the population. My Zionism is open to new concepts and political models.
3. The greatest achievement of Zionism is ingathering of the Jewish people to create a society and culture that both comes out of the connection to this land and also reflects all the experiences of two thousand years in the lands of other people. This includes the revival of the Hebrew language and its use in literature, song, theatre and commerce. My Zionism celebrates culture and the arts and holds them as the exemplar of national revival. This new, vibrant culture must be conveyed from generation to generation through a free education system which provides every child with the skills, knowledge and values to advance in society, while giving space for diversity. Investments in education are investments in our future and in our security. My Zionism places education, particularly the education of our young children, as the primary building-block of society and honors teachers as the leaders of the state.
4. Our emphasis on cultural and educational creativity is reflected in academic breakthroughs and has given birth to the start-up mentality, which, in turn, has achieved economic advances for the privileged in society. The huge strides in commercially successful innovation have not benefitted all the citizens of the State. The economic inequities here are among the worst in the world. My Zionism seeks a more equitable society, where educational, economic and social gaps between different sectors of society are minimized.
5. Whatever model of statehood or national self-realization we choose, all the citizens of the political entity (we will call it a “state”) should have equal obligations. We need to build on the traditional Jewish values of care for the other, volunteerism and generosity – values that exemplify many sectors of Israeli society today. We need to make sure that the economic and social needs of all are contributed to by all. We need to understand that security is not just about an army – and with that understanding, apply a principle that every citizen needs to contribution to the security of the state. My Zionism demands that everyone contributes to the best of their ability to protect the needs and safety of their fellow citizens.
6. Equal responsibilities come with equal rights to protection, security and opportunity. We need to find ways to ensure that minorities who are not Jewish do not suffer discrimination because they live in a Jewish state. We need to find the appropriate mechanisms for every person to serve the state and share the burden of maintaining the state and society. My Zionism has a place for non-Jewish citizens who choose to live with us in mutual respect.
7. Antisemitism continues to be a threat to Jewish life outside Israel, to Israel herself through economic boycotts and support of those who attack us, and a threat to Israelis traveling abroad. My Zionism says that Israel continues to be a haven for those facing intimidation or worse for their identification with our people. As the largest Jewish community in the world and the only country with a Jewish majority, it is a place where every Jew can feel at home. However, Israel is not a remedy for antisemitism. My Zionism recognizes that the Jewish state will suffer the rejection that the Jewish people have suffered historically but must do so with dignity and without lowering its standards in responding to her abusers.
8. Our prophets predicted that the Jewish people would be “a light unto the nations.” For this reason, we are judged by ourselves and by others by a higher standard. My Zionism does not shirk from holding our state to a higher moral standard, where politics are subservient to principles of kindness, justice, honesty and integrity. Jewish values, including limitations on how we conduct wars, rescue of hostages, the sanctity of human life, responsibility to our planet and treating all equally under the law, must prevail.
9. As a woman, I have a bond with other mothers, whose primary concern is the future of our children. We will do whatever it takes to protect our children and hence our focus is on the future more than on the past. This enables us to break free from narratives and historical experiences that might hold us back from open, honest communication. Women need to be included at all levels of decision-making, especially diplomacy and peace-making, in line with UN Security Council resolution 1325, to which Israel is a signatory. Our vision is to forge harmony within society and to negotiate peace-treaties with our neighbors which are sustainable and benefit all parties. The involvement of women has been proven to make this more likely. My Zionism includes a vision for a secure future that has benefitted and continues to benefit from the wisdom of all its citizens.
10. We honor those who have died protecting us or have been victims of terrorism and we mourn that the loss has been so high. We miss our children, partners, friends and relatives whose lives have been sacrificed. The first job of a nation-state is to provide physical security to its citizens. Although Israel’s military capabilities are among the best in the world, it is increasingly evident there is no security achievable through military domination alone. Security can only come through a peaceful resolution of conflicts. My Zionism includes a vision for security, which is a vision of peace.

I write these words while feeling that my Zionist vision is far from realization but not impossible. Herzl said if you will it, it is no dream. So, I will it.