To Be Or Not To Be Afraid of Term, ZIONISM

 Nadene Goldfoot                                         

Wonder woman is a Zionist.  The connection between Wonder Woman and Zionism stems entirely from the real-world casting of Israeli actress Gal Gadot as the superhero in the DC Extended Universe. Fictional character Diana of Themyscira predates modern Israel, but Gadot's public identity as an Israeli who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has made the franchise a lightning rod for political debate.  She is standing in front of an exploding volcano, the Iranian country trying to wipe our her country.  Yes, I'm with Gadot in having a political debate.  

Being that I'm 92 years old, I am not cringing at the term, ZIONISM.  It's a belief of my era, something that brought me BACK  into the fold of my people. 

Yet I am reading that OTHERS have taken away it's soul  and have been demeaning it, crushing it into soil of their lands, making it verboten to use.  

Let me tell you again, about Zionism.  We'll start with Zionists from history: Max Brod (1884–1968), Zionist from 1912, Rachel Cohen-Kagan (1888–1982), , later Israeli politician Albert Einstein (1879–1955), Eldad (1910–1996) 

What was this movement that they were all hepped up about?

Zionism is a movement that supported making a home for Jewish people in the historic land of Israel. Famous historical figures include Theodor Herzl, who started modern political Zionism, and David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel

Why did they want their own home?  Where were they already living?  They were a scattered people, a small group, found all over the world in little pockets,  many as 2nd class citizens, considered the scapegoat of the world, the wanderers who were recluses, not joining their churches.  They were objects of being picked on always, injured, killed in pogroms, and were the indigenous people from ancient Israel, of Judea, as we were Jews from there.  They were a people who could read and write and do math where others couldn't causing jealousy along with causing education, knowledge, and the aid to kings that needed their skill. They were blamed for the bad weather, whatever, ...enough.

Theodor Herzl: Writer and journalist who organized the first Zionist Congress in 1897.

Chaim Weizmann: Chemist and leader who helped get the 1917 Balfour Declaration and became Israel's first president.

David Ben-Gurion: Main founder and first prime minister of Israel.

Golda Meir: Early political pioneer and the fourth prime minister of Israel.

Louis Brandeis: American Supreme Court Justice and leader of US Zionism.

Henrietta Szold: Founder of Hadassah, the women's Zionist organization. 

Modern Pro-Israel Public Figures

Gal Gadot: Israeli actress who has openly supported Israel.

Jerry Seinfeld: American comedian who has visited and voiced support for Israel.

Gene Simmons: Musician known for vocal public support of Israel.

Mayim Bialik: Actress and author who frequently speaks about her Zionist views.  

The Zionism movement carried on into the 1920's with 

 the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, Zionist leader Chaim Weizmann and Emir Faisal (later King of Syria and Iraq) signed the Faisal-Weizmann Agreement on January 3, 1919. The pact promoted Arab-Jewish cooperation for a future Arab state and a Jewish national home in Palestine, though it ultimately collapsed amid shifting colonial mandates.  

You could say:  Conflicting Visions: Faisal pursued a unified, independent Greater Syria, while Weizmann championed Jewish settlement aspirations in Palestine.

The Mandate Outcome: The conference deferred Middle East decisions, leading to the San Remo resolution where France took control of Syria and Britain took Palestine.

Zionism had been limited until the 19th century by Jews, but then, as times changed, so did their ideology.  Its form was religious and expressed most commonly in the traditional liturgy, pseudo-messianic movements, and in limited Aliyah (moving back to Israel).  Later on, late 19th Jews from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, used Hibbat Zion movements, producing literature about it.  They held a big conference about it in 1897.  They realized and stated in writing that Jews are still a people, like Italians are a people, too many that our religion of Judaism would not continue if we all assimilated, which we refused to do;  the days of Hellenism long gone, and wished to retain their identity as a national community.  

It is normal to want to be from your own country.  We were forced out by the Romans and kept from returning on threat of our lives.  We tried assimilation;  it didn't work.  

Resource:

https://www.jns.org/news/u-s-news/scoop-avoid-saying-zionism-head-of-jewish-federations-comms-project-says-in-presentation-to-young-leaders

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