How to Tell a Jew from a Zionist from an Israeli

If you have ever been stuck during a conversation about Zionism this article is for you. It will prepare you to hold your own in any crowd on the subjects of Zionism and Israel.

All the information I am about to give you can easily be verified on the Internet. The trick is to separate what "everybody knows" from verifiable evidence by paying attention to your sources. All too often, when it comes to Zionism and Israel/Palestine, the legends (traditions) are misrepresented as fact.

What is Jewish?

To be Jewish, one either follows the Jewish religion or has Jewish ancestors. In the 1970s Israel determined an official test for Jewish lineage: if your mother is Jewish then you are as well. However, anyone can convert to the religion of Judaism (Madonna for instance) and this makes them eligible to draw benefits in Israel which are allowed only to Jews.

Judaism vs. Zionism

You don't have to be Jewish to be a Zionist. In fact, Zionists follow a variety of religious paths and some don't even call themselves Zionists. A Zionist is someone who believes Israel is entitled (for any reason) to treat Jews in Israel one way and treat non-Jews in Israel another way.

Contrary to popular opinion, Zionism did not begin with the Jewish holocaust. When Theodor Herzl published his "The Jewish State: An Attempt at a Modern Solution of the Jewish Question" in 1896, Zionism was already a highly-organized worldwide political movement. Herzl was calling for the advancement of this movement and Argentina was under consideration for the site of their international headquarters.

It may be helpful now to consider some differences between American and Israeli Jews. In America, religious Jews are predominantly Reform and Conservative-Jews who are, to some extent, discriminated against in Israel.

American Jews

In general, Jews in America are well known for their fair-mindedness and for upholding US constitutional liberties. Many are opposed to Israeli violence against their neighbors, and in voicing this opinion they risk alienation from those ethnic and religious affiliations which subscribe to Zionist values. At the heart of their protest is their fear that the US is manipulating Israel to serve US colonial interests.

Unfortunately, their voices are drowned out by powerful Zionist organizations which lobby in support of Israel. These groups ask for increasing amounts of US financial aid and tag criticism of Israel's policies as "anti-Semitism." It is the job of the AIPAC, for example, to diligently characterize every Israeli action as helpful to the United States. This makes criticism of Israel "un-American" and therefore unthinkable. The argument comes down to this: if you are against Israel, you are against all Jews.

However, this argument makes no sense because not all Jews are Zionists.

Israeli Jews

Israeli society actually consists of a secular majority. The term "secular" here refers to every person who is not Orthodox. Under this definition Israeli "secular society" consists of Conservative Jews, Reform Jews, Reconstructionist Jews, Humanist Jews, and Jews who claim no religious affiliation at all.

Notice that the non-Jewish citizens of Israel are not represented here. It is almost impossible for non-Jews to legally conduct their personal affairs through state institutions in Israel because they are excluded from the Israeli definition of society. Israel handles this disparity by having two sets of laws: one for Jews and one for non-Jews. Since democracies are characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges, some people argue Israel is not a democracy.

Even though Orthodox Jews in Israel comprise no more than 25% of Israeli citizenry, this minority wields a disproportionate influence over Israeli society. They control all family matters (marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance), education, and the kosher inspections vital to licensing restaurants and grocery stores.

And, while the secular majority complains loudly about the influence of the Orthodox parties, they seem not to really mind. If they wanted change, they would vote for change, and most don't bother to vote. Turnout among the Orthodox has sometimes doubled that of the secular majority. As a result, it is the Orthodox minority who run the taxpayer-financed religious councils which govern all of Israel.

Differences

By now you understand that not all Jews are Zionists, not all Zionists are Israelis, and not all Israelis are Jewish. It is also important to keep in mind that Israeli citizens who are not Jewish are governed by a separate set of laws.

References:
http://www.jcpa.org/dje/articles2/demographics.htm