Online Classroom: A History of Zionism

The Intercept wrote an interesting article the other day about a student at George Washington University who was told they were not allowed to display the new Palestine flag in a dormitory window despite the fact many other nationalities are also displayed: https://theintercept.com/2015/12/09/gw-palestinian-flag/

Before you get too outraged at the article above remember it is common in places such as condo associations to ban people from displaying flags, including American flags, for exactly this reason. Believe it or not the American flag is even banned on some American college campuses: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765669825/American-flag-ban-on-college-campus-draws-lawmakers-rebuke.html

There has been a long debate and although there are some people in this world who may never accept Palestine as its own nation-state, the United Nations raised a Palestine flag for the first time in history this past September: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mahmoud-abbas/palestine-flag-un_b_8210418.html

What is Zionism?

Lets be honest here if you are reading an article from AnonymousHQ News, you are most likely a fan of the movie The Matrix. This particular movie is riddled with many philosophical and religions undertones in names and symbolism. Zion for example was the name given to the underground city of the humans, but in the bible for example Zion is the city of heaven. The places believers all hope to be; Zion is the city of God.

In ancient times Zion was the name of a real city which King David conquered. This city today is known as Jerusalem and this is the city where the Israeli Empire was built. At the height of which sat the infamous Temple of Solomon upon the top of the temple mount. You might remember the name Nebuchadnezzar, the name of the ship in the matrix? In real life Nebuchadnezzar was an Arab King who defeated Israeli forces and in doing so recaptured the city of David/Israel for Arab control. Nebuchadnezzar deconstructed the temple of Solomon and forced the Jewish people off of the land.

Jewish and Christian scriptures always prophesied of a return of the Israelite’s back to Jerusalem to return to their city and to build a new empire. In the early 20th century a philosophical/political movement began to build and grab hold. This is the beginning of what many people today call “Zionism“.

November 2, 1917 – British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour drafted something known as the Balfour Declaration which called for the establishment of a Jewish state in the then country of Palestine. Though many people including the Rothschild family supported the doctrine the establishment of Israel would not take place for another 30 years.

Everyone is well aware of World War II and the atrocities endured by the Jewish people as a result of the Nazi’s of Germany.  A piece of history most people do not remember is the process of sorting everything out following the completion of the War. Did you know that Israel and the United Nations did not exist before WWII? Together with the Jewish community, the allied forces and the then newly formed United Nations began to conduct a series of hearings about what to do with the rebuilding effort in Europe. How should the land be divided to create new boarders, what countries should get what consideration, what should be done as punishment, how should people be helped et cetera.

One of the most hotly contested issues was what to do for the Jewish people, what reparations can be made? In 1947, as a result of centuries/decades of Zionist movement and in reparations for atrocities suffered by the Jewish people during World War II, the United Nations awarded the Jewish community a sovereign state in the territory of Palestine around the holy city of Jerusalem. This is the origins of the problems in the area as we observe them presently.

The United Nations Partitions Plan of 1947 established Israel in the area of Palestine around the city of Jerusalem. According to the original agreement with the United Nations the city of Jerusalem was to remain independent, an international city of the World not a city in Israel. Jordan and Israel would share the boarders of Jerusalem. The contract also established parameters limiting the number of migrants which could legally move into the newly established country.

This was a contract which could never be enforced. After the country of Israel was founded Jewish immigrants from all around the world flooded the country by the hundreds of thousands. By 1967 the country has grown so crowded it began to interfere with the activities of surrounding countries. Boarder conflicts soon spoiled over and the Six Days War of 1967 began.

In literally just six days the Israeli Military defeated three countries on three separate boarders. Israel defeated Egypt to the south gaining control of the Gaza Strip. Israel defeated Jordan to the east and captured the city of Jerusalem. Israel defeated the Syrians to the north and gained control of the West Bank. In just 20 years Israel went from a country which did not exist to a global military leader. To this day it is not known the true extent of Israel nuclear program.

Prior to WWII the area of Palestine was considered third world by modern standards and boasted one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. It is true, if it had come down to it the people of the area would have sided with the Axis Powers rather then the Allied Forces, but the area was so poor they never substantially contributed to the military efforts of WWII.

What you may not know about the Six Days War is that the United Nations, which helped established the Jewish country just 20 years before, called “Israel’s occupation of the lands acquired in the 1967 Six Days War illegal” – UN Secretary Kofi Annon – .

To this day the Israeli occupation in Gaza is considered “a violation of international law” and is considered an “illegal occupation” by the United Nations: http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories

The Goldstone Report of 2009 included accusations of “crimes against humanity” committed at the hand of Israel against people of the Gaza Strip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Fact_Finding_Mission_on_the_Gaza_Conflict

In 2014 the United Nations opened another investigation into potential War Crimes committed by Israel against the people of Gaza: http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16119&LangID=E

Let it be noted that in all of those investigations against Israel, there was equal investigation into Arab and Palestinian forces for the same crimes. Though there is no denying conflict exists around of Jerusalem today, when we observe some of the immediate neighbors around Israel, as well as its past, Israel for the most part is a safe place to be relatively speaking. Let us all hope the future is brighter then the past.

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