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Is not real (a thread)

A couple of things to note before reading the thread:

Note 1: If you’re considering becoming/already am a Zionist, then you’re definitely at the right place. Anti-Zionists can still read this, it’s just that this is more for them.

Note 2: This thread is not meant to be an attack on Jewish people or even Israelis, this is just meant to demonstrate my criticism on Israel and Zionism itself. And no, Anti-Zionism isn’t anti-semetism.

(Side note: You could even say, counterintuitively, it’s actually that being a Zionist is being anti-Semitic, since Arabs are Semitic people and Zionists advocate for occupying their land.)

Note 3: I’d like to put an emphasis on the fact that this is my OPINION on Israel and Zionism. Just because I’m going to heavily cite my claims, it doesn’t mean I’ll catch everything, and it certainly doesn’t mean that I’m going to be unbiased. This isn’t your Harvard-level research paper.

Now with that out of the way, let’s start.

The timeline:

Of course, I can’t just go on criticizing Israel on a lengthy thread without giving the historical context, otherwise it would be completely incoherent and one-sided (not that I’m trying to be completely unbiased). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex and protracted dispute rooted in historical, political, and territorial factors. So, this timeline aims to provide a chronological overview of key events, starting from the late 19th century to the present day, highlighting significant developments, conflicts, and diplomatic efforts that have shaped the ongoing conflict. From the early waves of Jewish immigration to Palestine, through the British Mandate period, the Arab-Israeli wars, peace initiatives, and the persistent struggle for self-determination, this timeline seeks to provide a historical context to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

This comment will be followed up by said timeline. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

Sorry, I’d like to make a small correction as it seems like the text cut off early. Here’s what it’s supposed to be:

1840: The Damascus Affair, a case of anti-Semitic persecution in Damascus, Syria. This incident sparks discussions among European Jews about establishing a Jewish homeland.
1862: Moses Hess, a Jewish philosopher, publishes "Rome and Jerusalem," advocating for a Jewish socialist state in Palestine.
1882: The First Aliyah begins, marking the first significant wave of Jewish immigration to Palestine, which increases the Jewish population from 3% to 8% of the total population.
1896: Theodor Herzl, a leading Zionist, publishes The Jewish State, one of the most important texts of modern Zionism, which argues that the best way to avoid antisemitism in Europe is to create an independent Jewish state, and encourages Jews to purchase land in Palestine, although the possibility of a Jewish state in Argentina is also considered.
1897: The First Zionist Congress is held in Basel, Switzerland, and establishes the World Zionist Organization, led by Herzl.
1914-1918: World War I breaks out, and the Ottoman Empire (which had controlled Palestine for hundreds of years) aligns with Germany and the Central Powers.
1916: With the assent of the Russian Empire and Italy, the United Kingdom and France agree to divide the Ottoman Empire into spheres of influence after the war, according to the Sykes–Picot Agreement.
1916: The British assure Sharif Hussein of Arab independence in the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence in exchange for support against the Ottomans.
1916-1918: The Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire-- led by Hussein's forces in alliance with the British, Arab forces achieve military successes against the Ottomans in the Arabian Peninsula.
1917: The Balfour Declaration is issued to Lord Rothschild, expressing British support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
1917: Shortly after the Russian revolution, the Bolsheviks release a copy of the Sykes–Picot Agreement (as well as other treaties). Following this revelation, "the British [are] embarrassed, the Arabs dismayed and the Turks delighted". The agreement led to a legacy of resentment in the region, among Arabs in particular, but also among Kurds who were denied an independent state.
1918: WW1 ends in defeat for the Ottoman empire.
1919: The Paris Peace Conference is held, leading to the establishment of the League of Nations and the mandate system.

Sources (p.s. I know it looks like I’m just citing Wikipedia but these are just sources for you to learn more about these events, let’s keep things simple here):

The Damascus Affair: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_affair
Rome and Jerusalem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_and_Jerusalem:_The_Last_National_Question
First Aliyah: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Aliyah
Theodor Hezel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Herzl
The Jewish State: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Judenstaat
First Zionist Congress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Zionist_Congress
World War I: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I
Ottoman Empire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire
Sykes-Picot Agreement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes–Picot_Agreement
Sharif Hussein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussein_bin_Ali,_King_of_Hejaz
McMahon-Hussein Correspondence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMahon–Hussein_Correspondence
Arab Revolt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Revolt
Balfour Declaration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration
Lord Rothschild: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Rothschild,_2nd_Baron_Rothschild

1919: Hussein refuses to ratify the Treaty of Versailles in protest of the Balfour Declaration and the establishment of British and French mandates in Syria, Iraq, and Palestine. The failure to deliver independence as promised is understood by the Arabs as an act of betrayal and a violation of the national right to self-determination for Arab peoples, which the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence had promised.
1920: The San Remo conference grants Britain a mandate over Palestine, creating Mandatory Palestine. The mandate includes a commitment to implement the Balfour Declaration.
1922: The League of Nations approves the British Mandate for Palestine, which incorporates the Balfour Declaration.
1924: After his continued refusal to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, the British switch their support from Hussein to Ibn Saud, who then conquers Hussein's kingdom, and eventually forms Saudi Arabia in 1932.
1920s-1930s: Jewish immigration to Palestine increases dramatically, bringing the Jewish population up to over 30% of the total.
1936-1939: The Arab Revolt in Palestine takes place, led by Palestinians protesting the British administration of the Palestine Mandate and demanding Arab independence and the end of the policy of open-ended Jewish immigration and land purchases with the stated goal of establishing a "Jewish National Home".
1941-1945: The Holocaust forces many more European Jews to flee to British Palestine and galvanizes international support for a Jewish state.
1944-1948: The White Paper of 1939 outlines new British policies to place restrictions on Jewish immigration and land purchases, and declares the intention of giving independence to Palestine, with an Arab majority, within ten years. In response, a successful paramilitary campaign is carried out by Zionist underground groups against British rule in Mandatory Palestine.
1947: The U.N. proposes a Partition Plan for separate states. The proposed allocation of territory for the Jewish and Arab states is approximately 56% and 43%, respectively, with Jerusalem to be placed under international administration. The plan is accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by Arab leaders, who view it as unjust and unfair.
1947: Following the UN partition plan, violence escalates between Jewish and Arab communities in Mandatory Palestine into civil war. Both sides engage in armed conflicts, leading to widespread displacement and casualties.

Sources:

Treaty of Versailles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles
Britain a mandate over Palestine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandate_for_Palestine
Mandatory Palestine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_Palestine
Ibn Saud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud
The Arab Revolt in Palestine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936–1939_Arab_revolt_in_Palestine
Holocaust: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust
White Paper of 1939: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Paper_of_1939
Successful paramilitary campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_insurgency_in_Mandatory_Palestine
Partition Plan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Partition_Plan_for_Palestine
Civil war: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947–1948_civil_war_in_Mandatory_Palestine

1948: On May 14, 1948, the Jewish leadership, led by David Ben-Gurion, declare the establishment of the State of Israel. The declaration is made shortly before the expiration of the British mandate. The newly established state is recognized by some countries, but not by the surrounding Arab nations, who attack.
1948: Following the failure of the First Arab–Israeli War to secure Arab independence in the region, Israel's territory expands to approximately 78% of Mandatory Palestine. The remaining territories are controlled by Jordan (West Bank, including East Jerusalem) and Egypt (Gaza Strip). In the course of this conflict, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian people are forced to leave. (Known as the Nakba. Villages were destroyed, wells were poisoned, and people were massacred.
1967: Following the Six-Day War, Israel gains control over several territories that were previously under the administration of other entities. These territories include the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. As a result of the territorial gains made during the Six-Day War, Israel comes to occupy and control a significantly larger percentage of Mandatory Palestine than before the war.
1978: Egypt agrees to The Camp David Accords with Israel. This sees the Sinai Peninsula returned to Egypt, and a general cooling of tensions between Israel and the Arab world. This also marks a shift away from conflict between Israel and neighbouring Arab states towards internal conflict between Israel and the Palestinian population. Hard-liners oppose this, and the Egyptian president who ratified them is assassinated in 1981.
1987-1993: Palestinians, collectively frustrated by Israel's continued military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, launch the First Intifada.
1993: The Oslo Accords, which have been characterized as "the Palestinian Versailles", are signed. These allow the Palestinians to have limited self-rule in specific, fragmented locations within the West Bank. Hard-liners on both sides oppose these accords, and a far-right Israeli assassinates the Israeli Prime Minister in 1995.
2000-2005: The Second Intifada takes place, resulting in increased violence and tensions between the Palestinians and the Israelis (note to matt double check). Israel shifts towards an overt, fascist police state to enforce apartheid rule instead of pursuing peace.

Sources:

Declare the establishment of the State of Israel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Declaration_of_Independence#Aftermath
Who attack: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Arab–Israeli_War
Nakba: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakba
Villages were destroyed, wells were poisoned, and people were massacred: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Palestinian_expulsion_and_flight
Six-Day War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War
The Camp David Accords: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_David_Accords
First Intifada: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Intifada
Oslo Accords: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Accords
Second Intifada: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Intifada

2005: Hamas takes control of the Gaza strip, breaking with the Palestinian Authority which controls the West Bank. Israel withdraws its settlements from the Gaza Strip and begins a crippling blockade which continues to this day.
2014: The Gaza War takes place, a major conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Sources:

Crippling blockade which continues today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockade_of_the_Gaza_Strip
Gaza War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Gaza_War

A Settler-Colonial Project from Inception:

The origin of Zionism (the political movement advocating for a Jewish homeland in Palestine) is deeply intertwined with the era of European colonialism. Early Zionists such as Theodor Herzl were inspired by-- and sought support from-- European colonialists and Powers. The Zionist plan for Palestine was structured to follow the same colonial model, with all the oppressive baggage that this entailed. In practice, Israel has all the hallmarks of a Settler-Colonial state, and has even engaged in apartheid practices.

This comment will be followed up with me going into detail about Israel’s ideological foundations. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

This comment thread will contain general information about Israel’s imperialist foundation. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, was inspired by European Colonialism. He was passionate about the Zionist project of founding a Jewish state, and even appealed to Cecil Rhodes, an infamous English colonialist, for support in this colonial endeavor:

“You are being invited to help make history. That cannot frighten you, nor will you laugh at it. It is not in your accustomed line; it doesn't involve Africa, but a piece of Asia Minor, not Englishmen, but Jews. But had this been on your path, you would have done it by now. How, then, do I happen to turn to you, since this is an out-of-the-way matter for you? How indeed? Because it is something colonial.”

- Theodor Herzl. (1902). Letter to Cecil Rhodes

Herzl also wrote in his famous pamphlet about the colonial tasks that would be undertaken:

“Should the Powers declare themselves willing to admit our sovereignty over a neutral piece of land, then the Society will enter into negotiations for the possession of this land. Here two territories come under consideration, Palestine and Argentine. In both countries important experiments in colonization have been made, though on the mistaken principle of a gradual infiltration of Jews. An infiltration is bound to end badly. It continues till the inevitable moment when the native population feels itself threatened, and forces the Government to stop a further influx of Jews. Immigration is consequently futile unless we have the sovereign right to continue such immigration...

The Jewish Company is partly modeled on the lines of a great land-acquisition company. It might be called a Jewish Chartered Company, though it cannot exercise sovereign power, and has other than purely colonial tasks.”

- Theodor Herzl. (1896). The Jewish State

Israel also occupies a very important geopolitical location in the world. This topological map of the world, which shows international borders and nothing else, demonstrates how Israel is a bottleneck on land, and a land bridge between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea (via the Red Sea). Herzl appealed to its central location:

“It is more and more to the interest of the civilized nations and of civilization in general that a cultural station be established on the shortest road to Asia. Palestine is this station and we Jews are the bearers of culture who are ready to give our property and our lives to bring about its creation.”

- Theodor Herzl. (1897). Address to the First Zionist Congress

Proof of sources:

The quote from Theodor Herzl I extracted from his Letter to Cecil Rhodes written circa 1902 can be found in this very image:

7por7o.jpg (click to show)

While the original source of this image remains in the dark underbelly of the internet and the book is locked behind a paywall, here is a similar image shown in a Twitter thread of the same piece of text:

https://twitter.com/DrJavadTHashmi/status/1395914457054842884

The quote I extracted from Theodor Herzl’s pamphlet titled The Jewish State written circa 1896, contrarily, can be very easily found here, clicking on section III “The Jewish Company” and reading the outlines:

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/quot-the-jewish-state-quot-theodor-herzl

Said topological map of the world that Herzl appealed to:

7pot0w.jpg (click to show)

To quote Abdul-Wahab Kayyali in her journal Zionism and Imperialism: The Historical Origins, written circa 1977:

“The colonization process revealed an even more telling feature of the nature of Zionism. The names and purposes of the early colonization instruments read as follows: "The Jewish Colonial Trust" (1898), the "Colonization Commission" (1898), the "Palestine Land Development Company." From the start the Zionist colonists sought to acquire lands in strategic ocations, evict the Arab peasants and boycott Arab labour, all of which were requirements closely related with the essence of Zionism, the creation of a Jewish nation on "purely" Jewish land, as Jewish as England was English to use the famous Zionist expression...

What about the fate of the natives? "We shall try to spirit the peniless population across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it any employment in our own country... The property owners will come to our side. Both the process of expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly."

But before spiriting them away Herzl had some jobs for the local population: "If we move into a region where there are wild animals to which the Jews are not accustomed - big snakes, etc... I shall use the natives, prior to giving them employment in the transit countries, for the extermination of the animals."”

The journal can be read here for free:

https://yplus.ps/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kayyali-Abdul-Wahab-Zionism-and-Imperialism-The-Historical-Origins.pdf

This comment thread will contain information about the Nakba (“Catastrophe” in Arabic) and Israel’s illegal settlements. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

Following the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, the ensuing expulsion of Palestinians became known as the Nakba.

“The Palestinians were driven out of their homeland and their properties, homes were taken away from them, and they were banished and displaced all over the world to face all kinds of suffering and woes. More than three quarters of historic Palestine were occupied in the Nakba of 1948. Moreover, 531 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed and 85% of the Palestinian population were banished and displaced...

Israelis controlled 774 towns and villages during the Nakba. They destroyed 531 Palestinian towns and villages. Israeli forces atrocities also include more than 70 massacres against Palestinians killing 15,000 Palestinians during Nakba time...

Nakba in literary terms is expressive of natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes. However, the Nakba of Palestine is an ethnic cleansing process as well as destruction and banishment of an unarmed nation to be replaced by another nation.”

- Luay Shabaneh. (2008).

“Around 750,000 Palestinian Arabs out of the 900,000 who lived in the territories that became Israel fled or were expelled from their homes. Wells were poisoned to prevent their return. Even after the state of Israel was formally established, it continued to expand into Palestinian land, displacing the Palestinian people and creating illegal settlements to this day.

The Security Council reaffirmed this afternoon that Israel’s establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders.”

- UN Security Council. (2016). Israel’s Settlements Have No Legal Validity, Constitute Flagrant Violation of International Law, Security Council Reaffirms

Proof of sources:

Luay Shabaneh:

https://www.psa.gov.qa/en/media1/events/Documents/QatarStatistics2019/LuayShabaneh.pdf

UN Security Council. (2016). Israel’s Settlements Have No Legal Validity, Constitute Flagrant Violation of International Law, Security Council Reaffirms:

https://press.un.org/en/2016/sc12657.doc.htm

These policies and practices have predictable outcomes:

“Since the occupation first began in June 1967, Israel’s ruthless policies of land confiscation, illegal settlement and dispossession, coupled with rampant discrimination, have inflicted immense suffering on Palestinians, depriving them of their basic rights.

Israel’s military rule disrupts every aspect of daily life in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It continues to affect whether, when and how Palestinians can travel to work or school, go abroad, visit their relatives, earn a living, attend a protest, access their farmland, or even access electricity or a clean water supply. It means daily humiliation, fear and oppression. People’s entire lives are effectively held hostage by Israel.”

- Amnesty International. (2017). Israel's Occupation: 50 Years of Dispossession

These illegal settlements also violate the Geneva Convention:

“Israel’s policy of settling its civilians in occupied Palestinian territory and displacing the local population contravenes fundamental rules of international humanitarian law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.”

- Amnesty International. (2019). Chapter 3: Israeli Settlements and International Law

Proof of sources:

Luay Shabaneh:

https://www.psa.gov.qa/en/media1/events/Documents/QatarStatistics2019/LuayShabaneh.pdf

UN Security Council. (2016). Israel’s Settlements Have No Legal Validity, Constitute Flagrant Violation of International Law, Security Council Reaffirms:

https://press.un.org/en/2016/sc12657.doc.htm

This comment thread will contain information about the Apartheid in Israel. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

Israel's inspiration from European colonialism also clearly laid the foundation for an apartheid regime. The word "apartheid" is a term derived from the Afrikaans language which means "separateness". Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, former South African Prime Minister, is infamously credited with being the principal architect of apartheid. In 1961, when the UN (including Israel) voted to condemn South Africa for its apartheid policies, Verwoerd said: "Israel is not consistent in its new anti-apartheid attitude ... they took Israel away from the Arabs after the Arabs lived there for a thousand years. In that, I agree with them. Israel, like South Africa, is an apartheid state."
Israeli authorities must be held accountable for committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians, Amnesty International said today in a damning new report. The investigation details how Israel enforces a system of oppression and domination against the Palestinian people wherever it has control over their rights. This includes Palestinians living in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), as well as displaced refugees in other countries.

- Amnesty International. (2022). Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity
​
Across these areas and in most aspects of life, Israeli authorities methodically privilege Jewish Israelis and discriminate against Palestinians. Laws, policies, and statements by leading Israeli officials make plain that the objective of maintaining Jewish Israeli control over demographics, political power, and land has long guided government policy. In pursuit of this goal, authorities have dispossessed, confined, forcibly separated, and subjugated Palestinians by virtue of their identity to varying degrees of intensity. In certain areas, as described in this report, these deprivations are so severe that they amount to the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution.

- Human Rights Watch. (2021). A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution

Proof of sources:

Amnesty International. (2022). Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/

Human Rights Watch. (2021). A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution:

https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution

A UN expert called today on the international community to accept and adopt the findings in his current report, echoing recent findings by Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organisations, that apartheid is being practiced by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“There is today in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 a deeply discriminatory dual legal and political system that privileges the 700,000 Israeli Jewish settlers living in the 300 illegal Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank,” said Michael Lynk, the UN Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.

- Israel’s 55-year occupation of Palestinian Territory is apartheid – UN human rights expert | UNHCR (2022)
​
Citing inhumane acts, arbitrary and extra-judicial killings, torture, the denial of fundamental rights, an abysmal child mortality rate, collective punishment, an abusive military court system, and home demolitions, Michael Lynk said the international community bears much responsibility for the present situation.

- Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territory is ‘apartheid’: UN rights expert | UN News (2022)

Proof of sources:

Israel’s 55-year occupation of Palestinian Territory is apartheid – UN human rights expert | UNHCR (2022):

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/03/israels-55-year-occupation-palestinian-territory-apartheid-un-human-rights

Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territory is ‘apartheid’: UN rights expert | UN News (2022):

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1114702

US Backing, Christian Zionism, and Anti-Anti-Semitism:

Israel is in a precarious geopolitical position, surrounded by angry Arab neighbours. The foundation of Israel was dependant on the support of Western Powers, and its existence relies on their continued support. Israel has three powerful tools in its belt to ensure this backing never wavers:

1. A powerful lobby which dictates U.S. foreign policy on Israel
2. European and American Christian Zionists who support Israel for eschatological reasons
3. Weaponized Anti-antisemitism to silence criticism

This comment will be followed up with me going into detail about US Backing of Israel, Christian Zionism, and Anti-Anti-Semitism. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

This comment thread will contain information about US backing of Israel. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

US Support:

Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid: as of February 2022, the United States had provided Israel US$150 billion (non-inflation-adjusted) in bilateral assistance. In 1999, the US government signed a Memorandum of Understanding which committed to providing Israel with at least US$2.67 billion in military aid annually, for the following ten years; in 2009, the annual amount was raised to US$3 billion; and in 2019, the amount was raised again, now standing at a minimum of US$3.8 billion that the US is committed to providing Israel each year. Former Senator Jesse Helms, who was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, referred to Israel as "America's aircraft carrier in the Middle East".

The United States is also Israel's largest trading partner, with two-way trade totalling $36 billion in 2013 and nearly $50 billion by 2023.

In addition to financial and military aid, the United States also provides large-scale political support to Israel, having used its United Nations Security Council veto power 42 times against resolutions condemning Israel, out of a total of 83 times in which its veto has ever been used. Between 1991 and 2011, out of the 24 vetoes invoked by the United States, 15 were used to protect Israel. The United States' readiness to stand on behalf of Israel has been linked to the influence of pro-Israeli lobbies in U.S. politics, most notably AIPAC.

Sources:

"Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid" and details about the aid amounts:
Congressional Research Service (CRS) report titled "U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel," by Jeremy M. Sharp, updated on April 10, 2022:

https://sgp.fas.org/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf

Office of the United States Trade Representative report on "U.S.-Israel Trade Facts," updated on March 2023:

https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/europe-middle-east/middle-eastnorth-africa/israel#:~:text=U.S.%2DIsrael%20Trade%20Facts&text=Exports%20were%20%2420.2%20billion%3B%20imports,way)%20goods%20trade%20during%202019.

The New York Times article titled "U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution on Israeli Actions," by Mark Landler, published on February 18, 2011: Link to The New York Times Article
Influence of pro-Israeli lobbies in U.S. politics:

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/world/middleeast/19nations.html

BBC News article titled "What is Aipac, America's pro-Israel lobby?" by Barbara Plett Usher, published on March 28, 2019:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1989/04/22/israel-asks-us-for-massive-loan/aa4b75de-9996-4bb6-9443-c5c6077f92ad/

The Washington Post article titled "Israel Asks U.S. for Massive Loan: $10 Billion Sought for 4-Year Period," by David B. Ottaway, published on April 22, 1989:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/1989/04/22/israel-asks-us-for-massive-loan/aa4b75de-9996-4bb6-9443-c5c6077f92ad/

To quote John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt in their book The Israel Lobby, written circa 2006:

“Another source of the Lobby’s power is its use of pro-Israel congressional staffers. As Morris Amitay, a former head of AIPAC, once admitted, ‘there are a lot of guys at the working level up here’ – on Capitol Hill – ‘who happen to be Jewish, who are willing ... to look at certain issues in terms of their Jewishness ... These are all guys who are in a position to make the decision in these areas for those senators ... You can get an awful lot done just at the staff level.’

AIPAC itself, however, forms the core of the Lobby’s influence in Congress. Its success is due to its ability to reward legislators and congressional candidates who support its agenda, and to punish those who challenge it. Money is critical to US elections (as the scandal over the lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s shady dealings reminds us), and AIPAC makes sure that its friends get strong financial support from the many pro-Israel political action committees. Anyone who is seen as hostile to Israel can be sure that AIPAC will direct campaign contributions to his or her political opponents. AIPAC also organises letter-writing campaigns and encourages newspaper editors to endorse pro-Israel candidates...

The bottom line is that AIPAC, a de facto agent for a foreign government, has a stranglehold on Congress, with the result that US policy towards Israel is not debated there, even though that policy has important consequences for the entire world. In other words, one of the three main branches of the government is firmly committed to supporting Israel. As one former Democratic senator, Ernest Hollings, noted on leaving office, ‘you can’t have an Israeli policy other than what AIPAC gives you around here.’”

The book can be read here for free:

https://bamdadi.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/the-israel-lobby-and-us-foreign-policy-bamdadi-dot-com.pdf

This comment thread will contain information about Christian Zionism. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

“Since the 1940s, Christian Zionism has become a global movement with a vast network of organizations. Both American and global Christian Zionism have promoted a theological, political, and cultural transformation in Christian attitudes toward Jews and Israel which has shaped US-Israel diplomacy and Jewish-Christian relations around the globe.”

- "Christian Zionism, the Religious Right, and Donald Trump: History’s Role in Contemporary Politics" | Harvard Kennedy School: ASH Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

Christian Zionists interpret certain biblical passages, particularly from the Old Testament, as predicting the return of Jews to the Promised Land and the restoration of Israel as a nation. They view the modern State of Israel as a fulfillment of these prophecies and consider it a necessary step towards the Second Coming of Christ.

“US Christian Zionism may be characterized as a theo-political movement stemming from American Conservative Evangelicalism, which advocates that at the end of the time Christ will come to rule the world for thousand years before the Last Judgment and that He will do so centred on Greater Israel and focused on Jerusalem. Although difficult to assess, the current proportion of Christian Zionists among the 100-130 million of American Evangelicals (the population of United States is 293 million) could be estimated around 20-25%. In light of an Eschatological fulfilment, Christian Zionist congregations and lobbies, even more dedicated than the majority of Jewish interest groups, provide vast political, financial and practical support to the modern State of Israel.”

- Carlo Aldrovandi. (2009). Forcing the End Times: US Christian Zionism and Israel.

This is especially ridiculous when you realize orthodox Jews actually oppose Zionism on religious grounds, as preempting the Messiah (read more about this in the Jewish Anti-Zionism section)

Proof of sources:

"Christian Zionism, the Religious Right, and Donald Trump: History’s Role in Contemporary Politics" | Harvard Kennedy School: ASH Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation (time of publishing is not clear):

https://ash.harvard.edu/christian-zionism-religious-right-and-donald-trump-history’s-role-contemporary-politics

Carlo Aldrovandi. (2009). Forcing the End Times: US Christian Zionism and Israel:

https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/forcing-end-times-us-christian-zionism-and-israel

The British, in particular, viewed the territory of Palestine as strategically significant due to its proximity to the Suez Canal and its potential as a route to India, one of their most prized colonial possessions. Additionally, there were British officials and politicians, including those influenced by Christian Zionism, who held a strong belief in the historical and religious significance of Palestine to the Jewish people.

“Irrespective of its genuine strategic objectives or its complex historical consequences, the campaign in Palestine during the first world war was seen by the British government as an invaluable exercise in propaganda. Keen to capitalize on the romantic appeal of victory in the Holy Land, British propagandists repeatedly alluded to Richard Coeur de Lion's failure to win Jerusalem, thus generating the widely disseminated image of the 1917-18 Palestine campaign as the 'Last' or the 'New' Crusade. This representation, in turn, with its anti-Moslem overtones, introduced complicated problems for the British propaganda apparatus, to the point (demonstrated here through an array of official documentation, press accounts and popular works) of becoming enmeshed in a hopeless web of contradictory directives.”

- Eitan Bar-Yosef. (2001). The Last Crusade? British Propaganda and the Palestine Campaign, 1917-18

The British refusal to grant independence to the Arabs after the Arab Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in WWI can be attributed to the prevailing colonial mindset of the time (which led the British to prioritize their own strategic and geopolitical interests over the promises made to the Arabs) and the appeal of controlling a geopolitically and Biblically significant territory. The desire to secure their own interests ultimately outweighed their commitment to honoring their promises to the Arabs.

Proof of source[s]:

Eitan Bar-Yosef. (2001). The Last Crusade? British Propaganda and the Palestine Campaign, 1917-18:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/261132

This comment thread will contain information about how anti-antisemitism is weaponized. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) are two prominent organizations that advocate for Israel and combat antisemitism. While their primary objectives are to support Israel's interests and protect Jewish communities from discrimination, there have been instances where accusations of antisemitism have been used to stifle legitimate criticism of Israeli policies. It is important to note that not all criticism of Israel is inherently antisemitic, and it is crucial to differentiate between legitimate criticism and actual instances of prejudice.

However, Zionist organizations have weaponized the accusation of "antisemitism" to silence criticism of Israel in Western Liberal Democracies. Anyone who is critical of Israel is labeled an Anti-Zionist, and therefore, an antisemite.

The ADL makes the very neutral definitions for both Zionism and Anti-Zionism that are not at all blatantly politically charged:

Zionism:

Zionism is the movement for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel. The vast majority of Jews around the world feel a connection or kinship with Israel, whether or not they explicitly identify as Zionists, and regardless of their opinions on the policies of the Israeli government.

Anti-Zionism:

Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionism, the movement for the self-determination and statehood of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel. Anti-Zionism is often expressed, explicitly or implicitly in the rejection of Jewish nationhood and the right to self-determination; the vilification of individuals and groups associated with Zionism; and the downplaying or negation of the historic and spiritual Jewish connection to the land of Israel.

Anti-Zionism is distinct from criticism of the policies or actions of the government of Israel, or critiques of specific policies of the pre-state Zionist movement, in that it attacks the foundational legitimacy of Jewish statehood.

Anti-Zionism is antisemitic, in intent or effect, as it invokes anti-Jewish tropes, is used to disenfranchise, demonize, disparage, or punish all Jews and/or those who feel a connection to Israel, equates Zionism with Nazism and other genocidal regimes, and renders Jews less worthy of sovereignty and nationhood than other peoples and states.

Proof of sources:

ADL’s definition of Zionism:

https://www.adl.org/resources/glossary-term/zionism

ADL’s definition of Anti-Zionism:

https://www.adl.org/resources/glossary-term/anti-zionism

Despite theoretically allowing room for criticism of specific policies, any general criticism of Israel is interpreted through this lens as antisemitic, and the critic is dismissed as a bigot and silenced. Politicians, particularly in the West, regularly get into trouble for criticizing Israel. There have been countless examples of progressive politicians being forced to publicly apologize after criticizing Israel.

Criticism of Israel, this way, is manipulated and distorted into claims of antisemitism as a means of silencing dissenting voices and discouraging open discussion. This tactic involves conflating legitimate criticism of Israel and Israeli policies with prejudice against Jewish people, thereby undermining the credibility of those raising concerns. By falsely equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, as the ADL does, individuals and organizations can casually delegitimize valid perspectives and stifle debate on this contentious issue. This manipulation not only harms free speech and the ability to engage in constructive dialogue, but also trivializes the seriousness of true anti-Semitism, diverting attention away from genuine instances of discrimination. It is crucial to distinguish between criticism of Israel and Israeli policies and true antisemitism.

Jewish Anti-Zionism:

This comment thread will contain information about Jewish Anti-Zionism. If you’re not interested, you can collapse this comment and continue reading the rest of the thread.

Many Jewish people and organizations do *not* support Israel and its apartheid settler-colonial project. There are many Jewish groups that protest Israel's brutal treatment of the Palestinian people (take for example, Jewish Voice for Peace).

“The Israeli government, with the backing of the U.S. government, subjects Palestinians across the entire land to apartheid — a system of inequality and ongoing displacement that is connected to a racial and class hierarchy amongst Israelis. We are calling on those in power to oppose any policies that privilege one group of people over another, in Israel/Palestine and in the U.S...

We are IfNotNow, a movement of American Jews organizing our community for equality, justice, and a thriving future for all: our neighbors, ourselves, Palestinians, and Israelis. We are Jews of all ages, with ancestors from across the world and Jewish backgrounds as diverse as the ways we practice our Judaism.”

- If Not Now. Our Principles.

Some ultra-orthodox Jewish groups (like Satmar) hold anti-Zionist beliefs on religious grounds. They claim that the establishment of a Jewish state before the arrival of the Messiah is against the teachings of Judaism and that Jews should not have their own sovereign state until the Messiah comes and establishes it in accordance with religious prophecy. In their eyes, the Zionist movement is a secular and nationalistic deviation from traditional Jewish values. Their opposition to Zionism is not driven by anti-Semitism but by religious conviction. They claim that Judaism and Zionism are incompatible and that the actions of the Israeli government do not represent the beliefs and values of authentic Judaism.

“We strive to support local efforts led by our partners for Palestinian rights and freedom, and against Israeli apartheid, occupation, displacement, annexation, aggression, and ongoing assaults on Palestinians.”

- Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. Israel-Palestine as a Local Issue.

(P.S. before you mention it, I don’t give two shits that some Jewish people are Zionists. Justifying the existence of Israel because of them is like saying we shouldn’t end racism in the U.S. because Christians are the believing majority there and that some Christians are clansmen.)

Proof of sources:

Jewish Voice for Peace:

https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/

If Not Now. Our Principles:

https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/principles

Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. Israel-Palestine as a Local Issue:

https://www.jfrej.org/israel-palestine

Additional resources if you’d like to know more:

Bro you spammed the entire image 💀

Well, at least now you have something to read since you’re so bored

Videos:

The Israel-Palestine conflict: a brief, simple history | Vox (2016): https://youtu.be/iRYZjOuUnlU
How To Maybe Criticize Israel? | Some More News (2019): https://youtu.be/w6YD0n5z-MI
Israel-Palestine 2021 conflict explained by Israeli Communist | TheFinnishBolshevik (2021): https://youtu.be/ECe5UcWkPeI
Palestine 101 with Abby Martin | BreakThrough News (2021): https://youtu.be/xEUIR_JG_b8
When Is It Warranted To Call Something Nuanced? | ChemicalMind (2022): https://youtu.be/lyPxIbUWcoY
Israelis Are Not 'Indigenous' (and other ridiculous pro-Israel arguments) | BadEmpanada (2022): https://youtu.be/FhlUFPpXIVo
The Brutal Realities of Settler Colonialism In Palestine | Mohammed el-Kurd | Novara Media (2023): https://youtu.be/40pFbGqMj7w
Completley unrelated fire ass song I found about Palestinians taking their rightful land back (not a rickroll, believe me): https://youtu.be/MwQX1-MZlhM

Books, Articles, or Essays:

Ten Myths About Israel | Ilan Pappé (2017): https://archive.org/details/ten-myths-about-israel-by-ilan-pappe-2017

Other Resources:

Decolonize Palestine (highly recommended): https://decolonizepalestine.com/
Maps: Vanishing Palestine | Al Jazeera: https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/maps_main.html
Facing the Nakba | Jewish Voice for Peace: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/facing-the-nakba/
Our Catastrophe | JewishCurrents (2023): https://jewishcurrents.org/our-catastrophe
Israel-Palestine Timeline: The Human Cost of the Conflict | If Americans Knew: https://israelpalestinetimeline.org/

Other resources:
You shut the f**k up.com