Tamrurim (Guideposts) are brief thoughts about Israel.
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Zionism isn’t … Zionism is.
It would seem that lots of folks (Jewish and not, Jewishly educated and not) are very confused as to what Zionism is and isn’t.
First, I offer this text study and this discussion guide for folks that are interested in digging into the concept a bit more through an historical and modern text/commentary lens.
Zionism isn’t a 1948 (or anywhere near that time) idea.
Zionism is a longing to be living and thriving as a community in our ancestral homeland which is documented in Psalm 137: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, sat and wept, as we thought of Zion….”
Zionism isn’t the belief that Jews want to eliminate (exterminate) anyone not-Jewish inside the land or out of it.
Zionism is the belief that Jews are entitled to a safety net in our ancestral homeland. Many non-Jews are also Zionists, sharing in this belief of Jewish self-determination.

Zionism isn’t the belief that Jews have no desire to share that land with others.
Zionism encompasses the belief that without the existence of Israel, the existence of Jews is a stake.
Zionism in an implemented form is not pre-determined, is malleable, negotiable, and translates into a continuum of belief of what Israel is and should be.
Zionism cannot be uncoupled from Judaism. It is inextricably linked to our history, our prayers, our texts, our peoplehood, our identity. Those who loudly proclaim their anti-Zionist Judaism are a minority who are living outside the lines of vast majority of mainstream Jews.
Anti-Zionism is deeply rooted in JewHate (aka antisemitism).
Zionism will not cease to exist no matter how much vitriol is aimed as the Jewish people.
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Who is to blame for where we are?
As I am having the same conversation in many threads (and in texts), I thought I would share my response here as well.
Of course I blame Iran and Hamas.
But, I start with the UN. They are 100% complicit in what happened on 10/7. Israel had been telling the world for years about misused humanitarian funds in exchange for tunnels and weapons of war. The UN did nothing the last decade about the on-going attempted murder of Israel’s via thousands of missiles from Gaza (if it weren’t for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling the casualty rate would be obscene – and no one talks about attempted murder). The UN was warned repeatedly about UNWRA and it was ignored. The JewHate in every vein of the UN is the core of how we got here.
Then I blame the greater Arab world – from 10/8 until now their lack of total pressure on Hamas, their lack of work to manage Gazan civilians (in contrast the global Jewish world has taken care of all of the displaced Israelis in the North and South).
And next I blame Bibi and his antagonistic, self-serving, war-mongering coalition. Ben Gvir’s statements have made negotiating in good faith harder. Bibi and company turning a blind eye on extremist violence makes global support harder. Bibi ignoring Shin Bet warnings months ahead of 10/7 has to make me wonder. He and his team cannot be trusted and we need a trustworthy leader for us.
I saw an interview on i24 last night with a hostage family member. She said this: imagine a robber has a knife to the throat of your child and demands you give him something in exchange for their life …. Is there nothing you wouldn’t give them in that moment? Why is Bibi not willing to do whatever it takes?
Everyone keeps reporting he has “accepted every deal” but critical thinking tells me that there is a negotiation time before a deal that Bibi is not coming to the table on and therefore there isn’t a deal. Him saying he’s said yes to every deal doesn’t mean he’s negotiated in good faith every time they are at the table.
Clearly 700k+ Israelis think he is an impediment to getting a deal done. So does Biden. They know more than me. (Photo of Israelis protesting Bibi and his government.)

Any “blame” I place on the US leadership, I file jointly with NATO and G7. (And I actually think this group is the solution to Egypt and Philadelphi.)
And then when we ask, so if we blame all these parties, who do we blame who can actually solve it today? That answer is Hamas and Bibi.
I have zero influence on Hamas, but as a leader in the American Jewish community, I have a voice to influence Bibi.
As usual, I’m open to a respectful discussion. I will not accept propaganda as fact, and I won’t accept slurs against an entire people.
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Zionist and Pro-Palestin….
The terms: Free Palestine. Pro-Palestinian. Pro-Palestine. are all at the heart of very tense exchanges (sometimes violent) between those that identify as Zionist and those that see Zionism as the antithesis of these terms. First of all, a person can be “yes, and …”, and secondly, I don’t think we are all even on the same page about what these terms mean. So I would like to attempt to offer some frameworks and considerations for each.
“Who is a Palestinian?”
Let’s first define a contemporary framework for “Who is a Palestinian?” I don’t want to engage is the rhetoric which denies the existence of a people who have built their geographic, cultural and faith identities around this term. To do so is completely counter-productive, dismissive, and de-humanizing.
It has taken me many years of learning with those who identify as Palestinian, studying history, exploring comparative nomenclature, and asking a lot of questions, to form the following conclusion. There are FIVE distinct sub-groups of Palestinians.
1. Gazans. These folks have been governed solely by internal forces (first Fatah and then Hamas) since August 2005. They were cheated out of a fully flourishing and safe life by the hands of Hamas. Israel was forced to put unspeakable protections in place as a result of abuses by Hamas (like restricting the imports of certain materials because Hamas was using them for tunnel and weapon development).
2. Residents of the Disputed West Bank/Judea-Samaria. Palestinians living here are caught between a lack of Israeli citizenship while still be heavily controlled my Israeli government, military, and police. They experience the highest levels of oppression, racism, and violence. They are often placed on curfews or total lock downs which cause undue stress and financial hardship. They are antagonized by a right wing government (often having their ancestral land and homes bull-dozed for what amounts to “eminant domain”). They are also victims of extreme agitators and murderers who are Jewish settlers in this territory. They have been offered citizenship over the years to both Jordan and to Israel and have rejected it.
3. Arab Israelis identifying as Palestinian descendants are full citizens of Israel. They vote, serve in all levels of government, serve in the IDF, own land, etc. They experience similar micro-aggressions that Black and Brown people in the US do: more frequent traffic and security stops, some employment discrimination, an erasure of history and contributions to society, an under-representation in pop culture and symbols of the country (like the flag and national anthem). This is wrong and needs to be addressed, but it isn’t “apartheid.”
4. Descendants of Arabs living in British Mandate Palestine who were displaced during the transition of power in 1948 and are now settled in other countries have a significant tie to the land and should have freedom of movement within the land. They are not, however, refugees. Refugee status (as defined by the UN) given to descendants of displaced persons only applies to this one group of people and represents a bias and prejudice against Israel. No other peoples are granted this inherited status. If that were the case, then almost every Jew in the world would be a refugee from Judea/Samaria. And the descendants of the 900k+ Mizrahi Jews expelled from Arab lands would be refugees from those lands, and so on. The UN and the UK have a major responsibility in the displacement of Palestinians in 1948. The lack of thoughtful transfer of power created a terrible crisis. Arabs taken from their homes and businesses deserve reparations.
5. East Jerusalem residents aren’t citizens of Israel, but instead hold permanent residency with Israeli ID cards. That means they can access services, but they can’t cast a vote in national elections—and their status (as well as their homes) can be taken away. It’s a very difficult framework to live within. And while they are eligible to apply for Israeli citizenship, most hold tight to their Palestinian identity (knowing that it means navigating the uncertainty of policies that could uproot them at any moment).Each of these five groups have distinct needs on a journey for equality and rights within the framework of Israel and Zionism. We cannot lump these groups into one entity and believe we are making a difference for ANY of them.
“WHERE/WHAT IS PALESTINE?”
It is important to recognize that while the British Mandate controlled land was called “Palestine” (the only time it has ever been officially called that) it is critical to note that all legal tender, the English and Hebrew newspaper, and official documents (like passports) also contained a symbol with an Aleph and a Yud – which means “Eretz Yisrael” or the full language itself.
The borders of this land have been pushed and pulled for centuries via wars, peace agreements, changes in ruling parties and international agreements. The land that is currently identified as Israel, Gaza and the Disputed West Bank/Judaea-Samaria, has had portions a part of Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and unclaimed land space. The phrase “From the River to the Sea” which is often used in this struggle, would indicate all land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and down to the Red Sea should be Palestine. The northern part of Israel known as the Golan Heights would return to Syrian control in this definition and the border with Lebanon (known as the Blue Line) would be maintained.
Israel’s control of Gaza, the Disputed West Bank/Judaea-Samaria, and the Golan Heights came to be via wars they did not start. The international community has mistreated Israel in ways it doesn’t treat other sovereign entities who have acquired land via war and treaty. I do believe Israeli leadership could have done something vastly different with the West Bank (another blog post to come), as to not antagonize, but ultimately they came to that land rightfully.
ZIONIST AND PRO-PALESTIN(E)(IAN)?
Yes.
I can strive for a vision in which ancestral strongholds are acknowledged and celebrated for for Jews, Palestinians, Christian Arabs, Druze, Armenians, and historic Christian denominations represented in the Christian quarter of the Old City. A vision that abolishes claims for only one people or another.
I can strive for a vision in which each sub-group of Palestinian peoples receive equality, freedom of movement, representation and dignity under a partnership with Israel. A vision in which K’lal Yisrael supports adaptations or inclusion of additional pieces to certain symbols, national identity and laws.
I can strive for a vision in which the entirety of the land is jointly administered by these people with the ancestral ties, while still providing global protection for the Jewish people. A vision that ensures a Shoah does not happen again.
I can strive for a vision in which the international community treats Israel equally as it does other lands. A vision which included complete and permanent peace with Israel’s neighbors and a universal condemnation and global leadership actively working to destroy IRGC and similar terrorist entities.





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