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Some supporters of Zionism regard it as a combination of nationalism and democratic plurality.
Israel is a state with a predominately Jewish ethnicity. Although the 1948 Israeli Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 David Ben Gurion (First Prime Minister of Israel) publicly pronouncing the Declaration of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948. Tel Aviv, Israel, beneath a large portrait of Theodore H [1] guarantees equality of political and social rights for all its citizens, irrespective of their race, religion or sex, the Declaration also contains multiple references to the Jewish nature of the state, resulting in some laws treating Jews and non-Jews differently. [2] In particularly the jus sanguinisJus sanguinis ( Latin for "right of blood") is a right by which nationality or citizenship can be recognised to any individual born to a parent who is a national or citizen of that state. It contrasts with jus soli (latin for "right of soil"). Usually a p law of the right of returnA right of return is a right, held by members of an ethnic or national group, to assurance of immigration and naturalization into the nation of their homeland. It is a special consideration in the nation's immigration laws to facilitate or encourage the r which, despite Israel's in other circumstances very restricted immigration policies, grant every Jew in the world the right to settle in Israel. This is especially agitating for the many Palestinian refugees, who used to live in the territory that is today's Israel, but are denied their wish to return, which they deem as a rightFor the direction right see left and right or starboard. For the political trend or ideology, see Right wing. The following article discusses the notion of rights in matters of philosophy and Law. At its most fundamental, a right is a claim, on other pers.
Furthermore, the "Nationality and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order), 5763 – 2003", passed in July 2003 by the KnessetThe Knesset (, Hebrew for "assembly") is the Parliament of Israel. As the legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset enacts laws, supervises the work of the government, and has the power to vote to remove the President of the State and the, excludes Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from the right to apply for and obtain Israeli citizenship or residency, even if they are married to Israeli citizens. [Source: BBC News, Jul. 31, 2003[3] ]. Nearly all Israelis who marry Palestinians are Arabs. The effect of this law is twofold: first, to ensure that no non-Israeli Palestinian can move to Israel (let alone vote), second, to force Israeli Palestinians to choose between family life and their right to reside in Israel. The law does not apply to other people (such as non-Palestinian foreign workers for example)
Many Arabs believe that Zionism is racist, and compare its continuation to the reform of Germany's former 'Blood Laws', which had allowed ethnic Germans to claim citizenship, even if they were nationals of another country.
Zionism is now, despite its pre-Israel origins as a "homeland movement," essentially synonymous with Jewish nationalism, since the Jewish identity of Israel is already established. The ideology has similar characteristics to many other European nationalisms developed at the same time, such as German nationalism and Irish nationalism.
Many Zionists dispute this, saying that it still is the same "homeland movement" that started Zionism. Others say that, in a sense, all nationalisms are racist because all privilege one ethnicity above all others.
Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism, wanted a Jewish homeland but he did not specify where. Soon thereafter, in the beginning of the 20th century, the decision was made that a Jewish homeland should be re-established in the Middle East. At this time, Palestine was part of the large Ottoman Empire. This decision made Zionism different from most other nationalisms, as its proponents claimed territory for an ethnicity the vast majority of whom lived far away from it at the time Zionism was founded, although many centuries earlier, under the Kingdom of Judah and Kingdom of Israel, it had had a Jewish majority, and Jews had never ceased to yearn for it.In 1948 Israel declared independence. Since Palestinians constituted a majority of the population of the British Mandate of Palestine at the time, many have seen this as denying the right of self-determination to the Palestinians; they note also that it had been made possible by the Balfour Declaration, an explicit contravention of the idea of self-determination insofar as it was decided entirely without Palestinian consent.
After the declaration of Israel and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War or Nakba, the vast majority of the Palestinians who had lived in what became Israel fled and had their property and land redistributed to Jewish immigrants. This was invaluable in making Israel a Jewish state, and was heartily welcomed by most of Israel's leadership. Many historians, including anti-Zionists, argue that this was a forced relocation of an indigenous population - the Palestinians - and replacement by another. Anti-Zionists consider this to have constituted ethnic cleansing. Some historians, including Zionists, argue that in many circumstances, the indigenous emigres left because they did not want to live in a Jewish state and were expecting Israel's imminent destruction, and that as such they were not "compelled" to leave. Much violence was being committed by both sides. Those who remained gained Israeli citizenship with equal rights to voting, and in many cases kept their land.
Though the modern incarnation of the Zionist ideology is the state of Israel, this itself is a source of debate among some Zionists, who believe in Israel as a conceptual homeland, not as a state - though now the distinction is largely academic. Some Zionist intellectuals still make a careful distinction between advocacy for a Jewish ethnic homeland and a Jewish state, which is perhaps similar to the difference between patriotism and nationalism.
People who disagree with the identification of Zionism with racism point out that there is no one Zionist ideology that all Zionists agree on. The views of one Zionist group can differ widely from another such group. As such, some believe accusations that "Zionism" is racist to be as inaccurate as an accusation that "socialism" is racist. Furthermore, Zionism as an ideology existed before the existence of the State of Israel, and would most likely continue to exist even if the State of Israel ceased to exist.
Many Israelis, both Jewish and non-Jewish, think that Israel should not differentiate between its Jewish and non-Jewish ethnicities. Paradoxically many Jews do not, however, want Israel to drop its "Jewishness" and thus in effect become a non-Zionist state.