What is Zionism? How does it differ from nationalism? (or does it?)

What is Zionism? How does it differ from nationalism? (or does it?)

Zionism is the religious and political effort that brought from around the world back to the ancient homeland in the Middle East and then reestablished Israel as the central location for Jewish identity (Suzman, 2016). In other words, Zionism is the movement to reestablish or recreate the Jewish presence in Israel. Contrarily nationalism is the independent, driven movement focused on acquiring and maintaining unity and identity of a particular nation through cohesion and determination. Jewish nationalism is also characterized by social justice and equality. Nationalism is also characterized by a high level of acceptance for one another via concepts such as urbanization to minimize the problem of ethnicity.

2. Critics of the modern state of Israel argue, among other things, that it is an imperialist outpost of the United States. What evidence might support such an argument?  What evidence might refute it?

Apart from being “an imperialist outpost of the United States,” Israel is a prime example of decolonization and the 2nd case in the history of an indigenous people regaining its independence on its ancestral land (the 1st example was Greece in 1829). Modern days Israelis are a mix of Jews who had never left Israel for 3400 years and Jews returning from 2000 years-long exile in Europe, North Africa, the rest of the Middle East, Ethiopia, and even as far as India and China. In 137 CE (or AD if you’re Christian), the Roman emperor Hadrian took 1 Million Jews into slavery to the rest of the Roman Empire after he squashed the last Jewish rebellion.

Those are the ancestors of the Sephardi (Spain/Mediterranean), Ashkenazi (European), and Italki Jews (Suzman, 2016). Prior to the independence of the modern state of Israel, there were only two independent states in the land of Israel (1400 BCE-586 BCE and 516 BCE- 63 BCE), and they also were Jewish. No other nation ever had an independent state on this land since.

It is not true. Israel has its own history, identity, and also its own interests, often contrary to those of the United States, and manages to convince the USA to support its aims, rather than being an American tool. But indeed, during Cold War, the USA supported Israel, among other reasons, to show the superiority of American support and American arms over Soviet support and Soviet arms were given to Syria and, until Sadat, to Egypt (Suzman, 2016). Hence support for Israel was a part of the American fight against communism. And this did work out; it convinced Egypt to switch sides. But when it comes to other states and mostly Arab and Muslim societies, it made them dislike the USA, in the case of American allies not openly, of course.

3. Who are the Palestinians?

Palestinians comprise of the Arab population which hails from the territory or land that is being controlled by Israel now. Palestinians comprise of the modern descendants of individuals who lived in Palestine over centuries, and today they are linguistically and culturally integrated. Palestinians “constituted 49% of all inhabitants, encompassing the entire population of the Gaza Strip (1.865 million), the majority of the population of the West Bank (approximately 2,785,000 versus about 600,000 Jewish Israeli citizens, which includes about 200,000 in East Jerusalem) and 20.95% of the population of Israel proper as Arab citizens of Israel”(Terrett, 2017)

4. How did Yugoslavia come into existence? What held it together in the post-War world?  Why did it fall apart?

Yugoslavia was formed after World War 1. It comprised of people who had been living under diverse empires. The people had nothing in common, and as such, there was increased external or outside pressure that let to its failure or breakup.  The leadership by Tito, who had led 122 states into the war, was effective (Terrett, 2017). The leadership helped Yugoslavia f to stay longer than expected. The occupants of Yugoslavia had an interdependent history, including Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The death of Tito led to ethnic tension in the country, leading to an economic crisis as well. Additionally, the 1974 constitution reduced the federal government.

5. Throughout the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, China seemed to be falling apart. Yet, in a relatively short time after the Communist revolution, it emerged as a world power able to challenge both the Soviet Union and the United States. How was this possible?

China was one of the poorest countries globally, and the attempt to industrialize proved futile effort. By 1978 the leader known as Deng Xiaoping refused to consider western economists’ advice and took a unique and gradual approach to the economic reforms. Some of the element that was prioritized includes maintaining the political stability, emphasize on grassroots to the bottom-up reforms (Avineri, 2017). Promote the local industries besides having poor technology, use manufactured goods, follow up the dual-track system of both private and government ownership instead of wholesale privatization, and move the industrial ladder.

6. Today, China seems poised to replace the United States as the world’s greatest power.  What do you think would be the consequences of such a change?  (note:  You will have to answer this question without help from the textbook or from me.  This question calls for your own insight)

Chinas rise has been figured out to pose a threat to the United States. China would become a dangerous superpower if it qualified. There would result in the cold war (Avineri, 2017). The rise of China had already posed a threat to the East Asia region, which would probably happen globally. As it emerges politically and economically, it will rival with the United States as it’s the current superpower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Avineri, S. (2017). The making of modern Zionism: The intellectual origins of the Jewish state. Hachette UK.

Suzman, M. (2016). Ethnic nationalism and state power: the rise of Irish nationalism, Afrikaner nationalism, and Zionism. Springer.

Terrett, S. (2017). The dissolution of Yugoslavia and the Badinter Arbitration Commission: a contextual study of peace-making efforts in the post-Cold War world. Routledge.