Neo-Zionism

Neo-Zionism is a right-wing, nationalistic and religious movement that appeared in Israel following the Six Days War and capture of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which they consider parts of Israel. It evolved parallel with, and in opposition to Post-Zionism. Both developed during the "fundamental shaking of the dominant national ethos, Zionism, that generate[d] the historical revision and debate in Israel".^[1]

Ideology

Neo-Zionism emerged in the 1970s.^[2] It is mainly constituted of settlers and members of the "national camp" in Israel. It is politically represented by the National Religious Party and the Likud and other small parties such as Tehiya, Tzomet and Moledet,^[2] as well as the non-parliamentary Movement for Greater Israel.

Neo-Zionists consider that "secular Zionism", particularly the labor version, was too weak on nationalism and never understood the impossibility of Arabs and Jews living together in peace. They claim that the Arab attitude to Israel has its root in antisemitism and that it is a Zionist illusion to think living in peace with them is possible. They consider Arabs in Israel to be a fifth column and pose a demographic threat. From their point of view, the only solution to achieve peace is "deterrence and retaliation".^[3]

For Neo-Zionism, "the weakness of Israeli Nationalism derives from his alienation of Jewish sources and culture (...). Only a new national-religious and orthodox coalition [could] cure Zionism of this moral bankruptcy".^[3] Neo-Zionists view the land of Israel as the natural and Biblically mandated home of the Jewish people and assert that the goal of Jewish statehood is not only about creating a safe refuge for Jews but also about the national-historic destiny of the people of Israel in the land of Israel.

Neo-Zionism is promoted by members of the Kumah organization and journalists at Arutz Sheva for a Zionist stream based on what its adherents call authentic Jewish spiritual foundations.

For Chan & al., "Neo-Zionism (...) is an exclusionary, nationalist, even racist, and antidemocratic political-cultural trend, striving to heighten the fence encasing Israeli identity."^[2]

Further reading

• Neo-Zionism 101 by Kobi Ben-Simhon, Haaretz, June 5 2009
• Zionism isn't what it used to be by David Breakstone, The Jerusalem Post, June 21 2009
• Steve Chan, Anita Shapira, Derek Jonathan, Israeli Historical Revisionism: from left to right, Routledge, 2002, ISBN 978-0-7146-5379-2.
• (English) Eliezer Don-Yehiya, Memory and Political Culture: Israeli Society and the Holocaust, Studies in Contemporary Jewry 9, 1993.
• (Hebrew) Eitan Dor-Shav, Israel Museum and the Loss of National Memory, Tkhelet, 1998.
• (Hebrew) Avraham Levit, Israeli Art on the Way to Somewhere Else, Tkhelet 3, 1998.
• Amos Oz, In the Land of Israel, -The Finger of God ?-, Harverst, 1993, pp.49-73.
• Uri Ram, The Future of the Past in Israel - A Sociology of Knowledge Approach, in Benny Morris, Making Israel, the University of Michigan Press, 2007.
• (Hebrew) Hillel Weiss, Defamation: Israeli Literature of Elimination, Beit El, 1992.

References

1. ^ Jeffrey K. Olic, States of Memory Continuities, Conflicts, and Transformations in National, Duke University Press, 2003, p.241.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Steve Chan, Anita Shapira, Derek Jonathan, Israeli Historical Revisionism: from left to right, Routledge, 2002, pp.57-58.
3. ^ ^{a b} Uri Ram, The Future of the Past in Israel - A Sociology of Knowledge Approach, in Benny Morris, Making Israel, pp.210-211.

See also

• Arutz Sheva
• Aryeh Eldad
• Blood Libel at Deir Yassin
• Effie Eitam
• Greater Israel
• Gush Emunim: Tzomet, Moledet, Tehiya, Kach
• Israeli Settlement
• Jewish Defense League
• Masada2000
• New antisemitism
• Yishai Fleisher