Former Hebrew school teacher: ‘Zionism is nationalism, not Judaism’
The media have at last taken up an important discussion: the relationship of Judaism and Zionism.
Many supporters of Israel say that to be Jewish means to be a Zionist; and therefore it’s anti-Semitic to be anti-Zionist.
Tziva Thier, a former Hebrew school teacher and liberal Zionist addressing the question about the difference between Zionism and Judaism said: “Anti-Zionism is being anti- a political movement that is nationalist. This is a nationalist movement. Anti-semitism is racism against a group of people because of their religion. So there is no connection. Anti-semitism is hating Jews for being Jews. Anti-Zionism is being anti- what the Zionist entity is doing right now as a colonialist apartheid country…
American synagogues and Jewish institutions freely and widely define Jewishness as Zionism. Thier responds that many orthodox Jews are anti-Zionist, and the synagogues are just wrong.
Jews are not allowed to murder innocent people. This is against Judaism. Yes– in the synagogues– they are wrong. When they will wake up? I don’t know if it will be in my lifetime, but they will. They must wake up some time… Israel is committing crimes, and it’s not Judaism, its nationalism”.