The ‘Post’ Era Has Passed

Nurit Greenger

September 10, 2009

For a long time I have been questioning why there are Orthodox and Conservative and Reform synagogues. I can more or less understand the Orthodox and Conservative aspect as their approach to the original practice of Judaism is rather akin. However, I cannot understand the concept of a Reform Synagogue—Reform Judaism. The word reform means improvement, or reorganization or restructuring or modification. What is wrong with the original Judaism Moses brought from Mount Sinai and Jewish sages elaborated on? Is there and why there is a need to improve, reorganize, restructure or modify the ancient Jewish religion? There is no need and should not be done.

This leads me to the next quandary, which is Post-Zionism and its exact meaning.

So far I know what Zionism is. The term “Zionism” was coined by Nathan Birnbaum* in 1890; it the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, advocated, from its inception, tangible as well as has spiritual aims. Jews of all persuasions, left and right, religious and secular, joined to form the Zionist political Movement, the Austro-Hungarian journalist Theodor Herzl formally established in the late 19th century following the publication of his book Der Judenstaat. They worked together toward these goals, had disagreements that led to rifts, but ultimately, the common goal of a Jewish state in its ancient homeland of Israel was attained. It is kind of a modern nationalism phenomenon that was initially one of several Jewish political movements offering alternative responses to assimilation and the position of Jews in Europe. Zionism grew rapidly and after the Holocaust; it became the dominant power among the Jewish political movements. Since the creation of Israel, the Zionist movement continues, primarily as support for the modern state of Israel.

I looked up the term post-Zionism which is apparently the opinion that some Israelis, Diaspora Jews and others, particularly in academia carry, that, with the creation of modern State of Israel in 1948, Zionism has fulfilled its ideological mission and that Zionist ideology should therefore be considered to be at an end.

So I am rather confused. If Zionism has fulfilled its ideology then (1) how come not all Jews are living in their homeland and the emigration to Israel along the Zionist Movement continues, and (2) does Israel no longer need modern nationalism and worldwide Jewish support?

My answer to these two questions is, not at all true. Zionism has not fulfilled its goals and Israel, now more than ever, needs to revamp nationalism and patriotism and it needs all the help it can muster.

Critics tend to associate post-Zionism with anti-Zionism or postmodernism; I concur. Post–Zionism is a very traffic problem for Israel and Jews everywhere, as it removes patriotism notion, more so, creates the foundation for deficient support for Israel.

Most of the Israelis and Jews who support post-Zionism are ‘progressive’ liberal-Leftists. Sadly, they have taken their stance even further and many times appear as Israel’s Jewish 5th column working hand in hand with Israel’s foes to undermine the state and try bringing her to her knees. The question is why and what for, which is hardly ever explained rationally and sensibly.

The post-Zionism camp advocates equality for Israel’s enemy who happened to be the members of Hamas, Fatah, PLO and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, all vow to see Israel vanish. How can anyone give moral equality or treat with moral equality people who want to kill all Jews? They will take advantage of the moral equality Jews gave them to advance their goal to achieve Jewish genocide. How can ANYONE advocate helping the Arab-‘Palestinian’ at the expense of the Israeli public? What mind set is it? Insane! Will these people protect homicide bomber before they will protect themselves from being blown up? It simply does not add up!

Nowadays Israel continues living though perilous and existential times and added to the mix is the rampant anti-Semitism sentiments, the Muslin world flared and many others rekindled.

If the Jewish world will not help to strengthen Israel and the post-Zionists will continue weakening her, the results are a guarantee disaster for the Jewish State. The paradise the Jews created out of the desert and swamps will fast return to its original state. The best example is Gush Katif. No longer than a day after the last Israeli left the Gush and turned off the lights, the Gaza-Arabs completed the destruction and ever since then there is no sign that only few years ago the area was filled with thriving Jewish towns. The Gazans have done nothing but allow the desert to creep along farther.

We must therefore immediately begin curing the rot that has settled within. We must eradicate all the bad apples before the entire bag of apples—all Israelis—ultimately become tainted and their citizenry destroyed for ever.

We therefore must “regress” to the Zionism era. The modern Zionist movement must continue being the fundamental support for the state of Israel and vehemently strengthen the state.

People believe in lies because they want to. Blood libels and anti-Semitism go hand in hand with lies and deception and the Jewish plight. We must adopt the truth philosophy and use it to fight back the pack of lies we face each day. White washing Jewish history and heritage is one of the strongest tools the anti-Israel-anti-Jews world uses to demise Israel. The truth is the ultimate tool we have at our disposal to fight back the post Zionism and anti-Semitism!

The Israeli youth need to go through academic reformation. Academia curriculum must be changed. Each and every child in Israel, all through his or her studying years, must learn and be knowledgeable in Jewish history, from Biblical times until the end of the 19th century, and modern history, from the turn of the 20th century until the establishment of Israel. All students must also take a thorough course about the Arab-Israeli on going conflict until present time and all the wars the State of Israel was forced to fight, each war’s cause, result and the effect it had on the nation, politically and spiritually.

Lastly, we must change the language; words have the most powerful effect. We don't do this, and fast, nothing will change. It is long over due to rename the disparaging terminology, the enemies of Israel use to make their point, with positive and effective one that helps strengthening Israel’s position. The word "Settlements" must not be mentioned; we call them Jewish-Israeli towns and /or cities, inhabited by Jewish-Israeli citizens, built or being build in the disputed territories of Judea and Samaria, not ‘occupied territories’. The Arabs who arrived in the region in the last 80 years—since Britain won the war against the Ottoman Empire—are not referred to as "settlers" so why are the Jews?! We can no long afford to fall head first into the political lexicon of our enemies. Refuting these terms and never using them again will advance our goals to be respected for al that we stand for. But as long as we use the enemy’s lexicon we are helping them to advance their cause.

It is clear that too many Israelis and Jews are confused about their heritage and their homeland well deserve place among the world’s nations, as a Zionist-Jewish State of Israel. All Israelis and Jews must arrive at one voice decision and state to the world as follows:

The support for Israel among all Jews is unanimous.

Israel is a Jewish State by nature. If you want to be a good Israel secular citizen it is acceptable. However you must always hold the position that you are living in a Jewish State, the Homeland of the Jewish people with—east-west-south-north—undivided Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel is not a racist state and its government is not an Apartheid regime.

Building Jewish-Israeli hometowns on every single square inch of the land that belongs to Israel is good for the entire Israeli-Jewish Nation.

Any voice to the contrary will be shut down fast.

Israel and Jews please wake up. We cannot fight the anti-Israel-anti-Semites lies and sham when our own people call to support them. We cannot overemphasize the importance of large Jewish presence in the Galil, Negev, Judea and Samaria; no waiver on any land that legally, according to the Mandate for Israel is the State of Israel land.

If we do not wake up, the before it is too late is near by.

*Nathan Birnbaum—16 May 1864 – 2 April 1937, was Austrian-Jewish thinker, a writer and journalist. His life had three main phases, representing a progression in his thinking: phase 1-Zionist (ca 1883-ca 1900); phase 2-Jewish cultural autonomy (ca 1900-ca 1914) which included the promotion of the Yiddish language; phase 3-religious (ca 1914-1937), in which he also continued to promote Yiddish.