Anti-Zionism submission ignores history
In response to Mr. Richards’ submission (“Anti-Zionism does not equate to racist or anti-Semitic sentiments,” March 16): I think it is important to point out that the comment, “It was only with the advent of modern-day Zionism in the 1900s that Jewish settlers moved into Palestine in large numbers” is a distortion of verifiable historical evidence.
It is widely accepted by credible scholars, archeologists and historians that the Jewish people as a collective ethnic group were formally driven from the ancient land of Israel, which today makes up a significant portion of the modern State of Israel, in the year 70 by the Roman Empire. The Romans were actually responsible for renaming the area “Palestine” in an effort to remove any trace of Jewish nationalism.
It is also widely known that despite this forced expulsion, some Jews were able to remain for generations afterward and many Jews decided to gradually return to this area.
Mr. Richards suggests that those who helped establish the State of Israel were all members of an outside entity colonizing a land with which they had no spiritual or nationalistic connection.
Yes, it is of course true that Zionism has its roots in Europe ““ in the late 1800s I might add, not the 1900s as Mr. Richards indicated ““ and that many European Jews did emigrate to this area largely because of the extreme anti-Semitism that many Jews were faced with in Europe during this time.
However, well before the birth of any organized Zionist movement, there were still many Jews living and working in the area that would ultimately become the State of Israel.
In addition, Jews as a collective spiritual nation have hoped and prayed for more than a millennia for a renewal of their ancient homeland.
Now, it should be absolutely acknowledged that the Arabic peoples who came to be called “Palestinians” (despite having no connection to the ancient Philistine people) have in fact lived in this area for a millennium or more due to the many migrations and conquests of this land.
And for this and other reasons, many supporters of Israel acknowledge that the settlement movement ““ started after the Six-Day War in 1967, and not prior to 1948 as Mr. Richards implies ““ was dead wrong and that the Palestinian people ought to be given their own land side by side with the State of Israel when they have demonstrated that they are willing to accept Israel as a neighbor in peace.
The one-state “solution” is not a solution because such a path would ultimately lead to yet another war, and it is clear that neither side will accept it.
It appears the “history” Mr. Richards has chosen to accept is one that fits with whatever agenda he apparently is aligned with. This is just total close-minded bias.
My recommendation to Mr. Richards is: Lose the obvious bias and brush up on your factual history!
Danny Halperin, Graduate student, molecular biology