REINVENTING ZIONISM

Zionism developed on the background of 19th century European civilization in response to the unique conditions of 19th century European Jewry. It drew inspiration from the 2,000-year-old desire to return to Zion but was not synonymous with that desire. It was a 19th century political development and is inadequate to the needs of the 21st century for the following reasons.

• half of Israel’s Jewish population are of non-European origin,
• two-thirds of the Diaspora lives outside Europe,
• 20% of Israel’s total population is not Jewish (and not European),
• we no longer live in the 19th century.

These compelling facts necessitate a far-reaching reinterpretation of Zionist ideology.