Should we retire the word ‘Zionism’?

Yes: the word Zionism is obsolete and unhelpful

Israel is now a state with a strong economy, a flourishing culture and a powerful army. While the country’s domestic and international challenges are particularly acute today, they are the sorts of trials that come with statehood, particularly in a troubled and unstable region of the world. Yet by continuing to use the terms “Zionist” and “Zionism” we undermine Israel’s normalization.

Applying the terms to modern day Israel is confusing and unclear, and it creates opportunities for distortion. The Anti-Defamation League defines Zionism as the “movement for self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland.” But this definition makes little sense today given that statehood has long ago been achieved. It argues for the legitimacy of a country whose status should no longer be called into question. Because it has no clear meaning in the contemporary context, many feel free to appropriate it and assign it pernicious meanings. The anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace describes “Zionism” as a movement “to deny the rights of Palestinians and the humanity of Palestinians.” The BDS Movement characterizes it as a settler colonial project which is ongoing and in which every Israeli citizen is complicit. Even the United Nations defined Zionism as “a form of racism and racial discrimination” (though it later revoked this definition). 

We should insist on the correct meaning of the terms. “Zionism” and “Zionist” refer to a narrow historical movement and ought not be open to interpretation or appropriation.

The word “Zionist” provides detractors a substitute for directly referencing the state of Israel. In effect, this verbal evasion denies the state’s very existence. Iran uses the term “Zionist regime,” and Hamas favors “Zionist Entity.” Few contemporary nation states face this type of repudiation, even those that have been called out for their extreme humanitarian injustices and political missteps. For its fiercest critics, Israel becomes an “ism” to be eliminated — like racism or sexism — and not an actual country with which to reckon. 

Haters feel empowered to hurl labels and insults at Jews while self-righteously defending their conduct. People who might think twice before publicly pronouncing “Jews do not deserve to live” or “Death to Israel” freely express these same sentiments by simply substituting “Zionist” for “Jew” and “Zionism” for “Israel.” Then feigning innocence, they claim to have simply expressed opposition to a political philosophy and those who adhere to it.

Does dropping the use of “Zionism” concede the war of words to Israel’s critics?  Does it imply a surrender of part of our heritage? No, in fact, doing so would only reaffirm Israel’s legitimacy. 

“Zionist” and “Zionism” should continue to be used to refer to the movement that predated the establishment of Israel in 1948. But perhaps, in all but historical contexts, these terms should be retired from our vocabulary. This linguistic turn could be one small step towards restoring civility on university campuses and beyond. 

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For the sake of Israel, it’s time to retire the word ‘Zionism’ (Alanna E Cooper and Sharona Hoffman, JTA)