Opinion
Addressing anti-Zionism
Rafael Castro
Published: 06.03.12, 18:04
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44 Talkbacks for this article
1. evangeliscal christians are the best friends of israel!!!!
mira ,   israel   (03.06.12)
the writer of this article as no idea what real antisemitism mean.
2. Stopped reading at the slur on Evangelicals
BH ,   Iowa   (03.06.12)
This post is nonsense.
3. This is a joke.
Albrecht   (03.06.12)
Colonialism was not bad due to "law and justice" of the colonial rulers. What next? Ahat about Adolf Hitler? He also was not bad. He built new autobahns. This article is a bad joke.
4. This totally misses the point: negation of the Jewish peopl
Serge ,   Montreal, Canada   (03.06.12)
This article absolutely misses the point. Anti-Zionists sees Jewish self-determination as "colonialism" because they deny the existence of the Jewish people. As long as the Jewish people's existence is in doubt, Israel will be by definition illegitimate to such doubters. This article simply ignores or, worse, accepts that.
5. The World Without Islam
(03.06.12)
is a PEACEFUL WORLD. It's as simple as that!
6. Good article
Jarda ,   Czech Republic   (03.06.12)
Israel is really a product of colonialism. And Palestinians are right to fight it.
7. the left is a bunch of GODLESS who will believe anythng anti
yaffit ,   jerusalem   (03.06.12)
8. brilliant !!
Michael ,   Haifa   (03.06.12)
according to this brilliant essay, we would be far better off today, had we stayed with the British Mandate.
9. JESUSALEN
cristian ,   JESUSALEN   (03.06.12)
the essence of what exists is not democracy but capitalism-imperialism and political structures that impose,leading to the rest of the world is not democracy but a totally rotten system and the necessity of the revolution evolution,we see in contest with jihad on the one hand and world crusade by the other,are historically,sectors of humanity colonised and oppressed against historically dominant sectors of the imperialist system,looming much worse if not put an end to the crimes of government,the next logical step is to attack with weapons,such a war,is a humanitarian nightmare along with the loss of human lives,it increases the polarization of the peoples of the world between the crusade and jihad of the fundamentalists
10. hahaha
Ananias ,   Los Angeles, USA   (03.06.12)
Maybe we should review our morals/opinions regarding slavery? Your article was funny!
11. Thanks No1 And No2
C.Moore ,   Aberystwyth   (03.06.12)
I was horrified as a christian to read the bit were he attacked us Evangelicals,we are the biggest supporters of Israel and we are more Pro-Israel than many Jews!
12. I do not know what the author was smoking
Dan the Jafa ,   Auckland, NZ   (03.06.12)
but it has to be illegal. In the author's scrambled head Evangelicals somehow hate Israel and pretend to support it for their evil nefarious needs, while at the same time the good wrong-wingers love it but punish Israel because it is naughty but not all naughtiness is naughty... Get it? Love is hate and victory is defeat. I heard that somewhere before. Except the last time it was a satire.
13. Total BS
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (03.06.12)
The leftists have bought into the Arab propaganda of 'Jewish colonization', when the fact is that we are occupying only our own lands and the Arabs are illegal occupation force from Morocco to Indonesia. They have conquered the lands, subjegated the natives and are bent on total genocide. Meanwhile the leftists fiddle while the Middle East burns.
14. Jarda
Alice ,   Montreal, Canada   (03.06.12)
You got it all wrong. Palestine is the product of colonisialism. Israel was a country long before any other country of the world. We have a history to prove it. As for the invented palestinians, there is nothing to prove any past. They simply didn't exist. Remember, Jarda, Israel is the only People who are called a Nation. We can also prove it.
15. read what happened in Asia under colonialism
Golan ,   modiin   (03.06.12)
Anti-Colonialism is nothing more than Arabs, Africans, and Asians hatred for the "other." there was nothing the colonial powers did not do that the natives did not do to their own people. However because an "other" did it to them there was a racial connotation to getting a "speeding ticket." And yes, when you revolt the counterattack is going to be just as tough. So please put things in context. The Indians revolted against the Brits because there was an erroneous rumor that the bullets the soldiers were given were greased with cow fat or pig fat. Neither was the case. Anti-colonialism is a nice word for hatred of whites by browns and hatred of whites by Oikophobes.
16. WRONG!!!!
Yosef ,   Boca Raton   (03.06.12)
Dont need to read the article. Title statement is wrong Colonialism is very diferent than Zionism. This is our ancestral land. Not the Falkland or Malvinas Islands, not the United States of America, not Australia, Not Canada.
17. Self- Determination is not Colonialism
Ed ,   USA   (03.06.12)
"in a world where self-determination is still viewed as the ultimate good . . . ." Zionism is about Jewish self-determination. If this latter is "the ultimate good," Zionism should be applauded. It is unfortunate that "settlement" gets translated into romance languages as "colonie." Still, the hostility to Israel is neither a hostility to colonialism nor anti-semitism. A defense of Israel that sees the state as a colonial power will get nowhere--even if colonialism is revalued. Israel is itself about self-determination. It's existence is a matter of human rights. Why can't people defend Israel with the truth?
18. Satire?
JJ ,   Detriot   (03.06.12)
This has to be satire, right? Because, I know some folks (especially in the UK) like to romanticize their colonial histories, but this is just - whoa. Or satire.
19. #6 Jarda
Yosef Y ,   Coral Springs, USA   (03.06.12)
My respects to the Czechs for parting peacefully from the Slovaks. May I suggest you stick to that, otherwise you have got a LOT to learn...more than your poor brain can comprehend.
20. Zionism (through history)=jews going HOME and living AT HOME
Jerry ,   The Netherlands   (03.06.12)
21. #1 AGREED!
(03.06.12)
22. Absurd article
Geoff ,   London (UK)   (03.06.12)
If the author thinks that justifying colonialism and recognising Zionism as a colonialist project will win over the Left, he's living in cloud-cuckoo land! The Left needs educating - not about colonialism - but about Jewish history. Specifically, those on the Left need to know that the Jews were (to all intents and purposes) exiled from their land and thus have a right of return. That is the only morally acceptable justification for Zionism.
23. this article is a disgrace
a jew ,   new york   (03.07.12)
Zionism has nothing to do with colonialism, mr Castro. You should use your writing skills to help the Jewish people. thanks for giving Arabs and arab sympathizers more ammo to use against us. Why is this even on YNET.. it's garbage.
24. Zionism is colonialism and should be defended as such
Peter ,   London UK   (03.07.12)
Is the writer of this article mad. Colonialism is considered as evil and unacceptable as slavery. Does the write also want to justify slavery?
25. jarda
Tanya NZ ,   New Zealand   (03.07.12)
Jarda you are wrong on so many levels, do you even read these reply's by so many insightful, intelligent People (mostly), or do you just turn a blind eye to the history of this region for the past 3-4 thousand years, get a history book out and do some reading, you are obviously ill informed and quite possibly unable to see anything from an Israeli/Jewish perspective, or the truth for that matter. You are just another brain washed moron of limited intelligence obviously! Paestinians have a right to return to Jordan (or should have) or Egypt where they belong! Although I am sure they would have far more to moan about there than they do where they are now, especially the Arab Israelis! Read some real literature on the region not the revisionist crap you are obviously reading now.
26. Castro Revolution
Robert Soran-Schwart ,   Dornbusch - EU   (03.07.12)
The best piece of synergistic research Rafael Castro ever produced. It's a succinct but dense abstract of the iconic post-doctoral thesis for the sanitized Zion(al)ist ideology in the XXI. (21.) century. Yes, anti-colonialism is nowadays pure anti-Zionism. That's why the success of Zion(al)ism can only be achieved when Israel succeeds to restore colonialism as the most modern global version of Zionism. Godfather Benzion and Godson Benjamin Netanyahu are giving the finishing touches to their revolutionary reinvention of Zionism with their new Israeli State Bible "Unser Kampf / Our Struggle fuer / for Neualtland / New Old Land". But the real Creator of the New Paradigm is Rafael Castro. No doubt about.
27. so if i understand correctly....
Mike ,   London, UK   (03.07.12)
the left are friends to Israel and Jews and the evangelical christians arent. talk about turning facts on their head this article is a joke
28. Bravo what a tongue in cheek Article!!
Buskila ,   South America   (03.07.12)
The writer wanted a way to try and open a wide discussion, without too too much emotions and hate: he wanted in fact to show the Ideology of Zionism from different known historical and social aspect of various governance and ideologies from the recent past. Brilliantly he camouflaged his real intent behind results of every type of social intercourse. His is seeking a way to replace Zionism ideology that has been a desaster for Israel acceptance in some milieux, with the Biblical Heritage that the Jewish People can claim straight forward as an evidence for the Return to the Land of Israel, the Jewish Home Land, with no masks and loans from European home brewed Ideology.
29. interesting
(03.07.12)
the article is roughly correct in identifying the rationale behind anti-Zionism but is it realistic to imagine that the image of colonialism can be revamped? Its self evident that the lives of natives were usually improved in many ways by colonial enterprises. But they also caused suffering. It has been found more fruitful in ex-colonial societies in terms of reconciliation to focus on harm done rather than benefits conferred. Telling natives what good things colonialism did for them merely inflames the situation. Apologies and reparations have been the norm.
30. Interesting idea
Igor ,   Germany   (03.07.12)
It may well be that some (but certainly not all!) anti-Zionists are against Israel because they view it as a colonialist power. But to fight that view by explaining how Zionism is good to the Arabs in the same way as colonialism was to the colonized is 1) historically wrong and 2) a certain way to lose the argument. Jews have considered themselves and have been considered a _PEOPLE_ by friends and foes alike for over 3000 years. Israel is their ancestral homeland. If you don't trust the Bible, read archeological artifacts and Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman etc. sources. Zionism is an anti-colonialist, national liberation movement. That's what anti-Zionist need to hear and understand!
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