Colonialism and Israel

These facts won’t convince haters because they run on sentiments, not facts

Most non-Western Anti-Zionists simply hate Jews and want them away from the Middle East or dead.

Western Anti-Zionist are much subtler. They claim that Jews took the land of the natives, and therefore are occupiers, colonialists, and settlers.

They also often mix in Antisemitic stereotypes and lies and justify that because the Zionists are evil to begin with.

You’d think that Neo-Nazis finding Antifa on their side (and vice versa) alerts them they might on the wrong track, but no. Or that some Jews and Gays fighting for Muslim fundamentalists whose greatest dream is to kill them would lead them to puzzlement, but no. No alarm sounds for them.

What are Natives?

Let’s look at North America. Who are the Natives? Not the settlers from Europe and not the people they kidnapped and imported from Africa and enslaved, nor the immigrants that have immigrated there since then.

Native Americans are the ones who were there first.

Who lived first in the Holy Land?

I was 15 when I disputed a 21-year-old Muslim Egyptian university student tourist in Jerusalem in 1968. ‘Jews never lived here,’ he argued. ‘Then who were blamed for killing Jesus?’ I countered. He was stunned. He never thought of it. I was very proud of my victory. He was so much older!

Everyone who knows history agrees that the people who now call themselves Palestinians have no ancient roots in the Holy Land. They are invaders from maximally 200 years ago. Even Arafat was born in Cairo. Quite a percentage of them are Jews forcefully ‘converted’ to Islam.

So, quite obviously, the Jews are the Natives of the Holy Land. So, truthfully, they cannot be called occupiers, colonialists, or settlers. Are Native Americans the colonialists of the Americas?

Which Parts are Jewish?

The League of Nations/United Nations agreed to give half of the Holy Land to the Jews and half to the Arabs. The British put a king over the Arab part, who then began to oppress the Palestinians. They then claimed the Jewish part was theirs. They refused to sit in one State with the Jews. The Jews had to go. Yet, 20% of modern democratic Israel is Muslim from 1948. The UN maintains Palestinian ‘refugee camps’ around the Jewish State to keep the animosity against Israel going. Even after many generations, these ‘exiles’ can’t integrate into the countries they’re in and lack full civil rights there.

In 1967, Israel captured the West Bank and Muslim Jerusalem from the illegal Jordanian occupation. These are therefore the liberated territories.

The international community calls them now ‘illegally occupied,’ you say? Where is that coming from? From the International Red Cross. They’re the Guardians of the Fourth Genève Conference and, in their traditional Anti-Jewish role (still on full display), branded it ‘illegal.’ The world never formed any consensus on it. It just parroted the Antisemites.

BTW: Gaza is Jewish, too. Isaac traveled to Charan. That is in Gaza. We know that Isaac was the only Jewish Patriarch who never left Israel.

Southern Lebanon also belonged to Biblical Israel, but the secular Jewish State has never put any such claim forward.

The Golan Heights will stay with Israel in the first place for security reasons. Israel gave Gaza and parts of the West Bank away in a Land for Peace deal but only got terror in return. No Israeli government will commit suicide and disengage from the Golan. That’s the Jewish consensus.

Objection?

You would say that nationalism is outdated? Well, after WW II, many occupied colonies liberated themselves and became independent Nations. Israel has helped many new Countries to get their agriculture going. It is unclear why Jews should not have done the same.

You say that Israel and Zionism are only a reaction to the Holocaust? Zionism existed way before. Modern Zionism is from the 18^th Century. But really, Zionism was baked into the Jewish religion millennia ago.

You say that Israel is capitalist? Most people who say that live in capitalist countries. What does this argument have to do with anything? Israel is a democratic State with equality, a free, very critical press, freedom of assembly, free elections, an independent judiciary, and freedom of religion.

You’re free to hate, but such hatred is based on lies and demagogy.

The racism of the low expectations.

The Muslims came after the Jews.

There never was a Palestinian State.

About the Author

MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. * This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. * His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1