What’s a ‘non-Zionist Zionist,’ eh? 43% of Jewish Canadians claim to be one

Is it possible to believe that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state and not think of yourself as a Zionist? 43% of Jewish Canadians believe you can.

This is an important and perhaps puzzling result of a recent survey conducted in Canada by the public opinion firm Leger commissioned by the New Israel Fund of Canada, JSpace Canada and Canadian Friends of Peace Now. Borrowing from the syndicated television program, Family Feud (which perhaps is a fitting description of the struggle within Canada’s Jewish community as how best to relate to Israel at this perilous time), the “survey says”:

• 51% of Canadian Jews consider themselves Zionists
• 94% of Canadian Jews support the existence of Israel as a Jewish state

The difference is 43%. These are Canadians Jews who support Israel as a Jewish state but aren’t Zionists. Is it possible to support Israel as a Jewish state and not be a Zionist?  

I guess it depends on what you mean by Zionism.

To me, Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people. Its objective is to actualize the Jews’ right to live freely and safely in our ancestral homeland, and to do so without negating the opportunity for other people to live freely and safely too.

Clearly, 43% of Jewish Canadians feel that the term Zionism means something else.  

Israel’s haters define Zionism in the most malevolent and incorrect ways in order to drive a wedge between ourselves and the legitimate thousands year dream of a Jewish homeland. What the haters say need not be repeated here.  

At the same time, there are those within the Jewish world who define Zionism in a way that is anathema to those of us who believe in the vision of a Jewish state expressed by Herzl and other Zionist luminaries. If Zionism means reestablishing settlements in Gaza, civilian attacks on Palestinian homes and farms, initiatives to rebuild the Temple and considering non-Orthodox Jews not to be Jewish (or not Jewish enough), then no wonder many Canadian Jews want no part of that.

HaZionut HaDatit (“Religious Zionism”) is the name given to Israel’s Religious Zionist party, as well as the name of the joint list that ran in Israel’s 2022 election. It won 14 seats in the Knesset which resulted in both Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir becoming ministers in the current ruling government of Israel. If the policies and attitudes of Smotrich and Ben Gvir are what religious Zionism means (given the name of their joint list, it is easy to make that assumption), then no wonder many Canadian Jews want no part of that.

So what is a Jewish Canadian to do?

I believe we need to reclaim the term Zionism both from the haters without and from the zealots within. The Zionist movement founded by Herzl reflects the unified (and diverse) views of the Jewish people. It is not a dirty word. It is not a racist concept. It is an expression of the Jewish people’s connection to our ancestral homeland and our longing to build a Jewish and democratic society in that land.

On an individual basis, reclaiming Zionism is not easy to do. Pushing back on the haters will result in you being called all the worst words they can find in the thesaurus. Pushing back on those who feel Israel can do no wrong (or those who know Israel has its issues but believe it is wrong to criticize it) will result in you being called a self-hating Jew, an antisemite, a capo or other like term.

Notwithstanding the pressures at either end, I believe we have no choice but to stand up for Zionism. It roots us in our history. It defines our connection to the land. It is a proud movement that achieved something thought impossible- the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel. It is a work in process that is hard, and made harder given the neighborhood in which Zionism succeeded.  It is not perfect, but it is still great. It can be both.

Standing up for Zionism means standing up to those in our community and in Israel who we feel are giving Zionism and Israel a bad name. It means we must push back against those who we believe are doing great damage to Israel and to the Jewish people worldwide, and who by their actions and statements are imperiling all that has been achieved. If we see something we don’t like, we should not only say something but we should do something.

If you know Zionism, then you would know that is exactly what its founder, Theodor Herzl, would do.