Zionism's Greatest Conceit
ZIONISM’S GREATEST CONCEIT
For a people whose traditions and rituals originate from the age of Egyptian pharaohs, modernity can be a relative term. The Jewish people have one of the oldest traditions of any culture on earth and have been a part of nearly every major civilization, from the ancient Egyptians, to the Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and British empires. Over the centuries, they have traditions both of successful self-governance but also of persecution, hostility and exile. The ability of the Jewish people to maintain their ethnic and religious identity throughout four millennia of peace and conflict illustrates not only the strength of their conviction but also their skill in organizing and leading themselves. Their uniquely Jewish political skill developed throughout history is an essential and compelling explanation for the preservation of their society (Dowty, 1998). For Alan Dowty, this political tradition is the key to understanding Israel both today and undoubtedly tomorrow. Whether autonomous or as part of a greater civilization, Jewish society often governed itself in some fashion or another. In governing themselves, it was imperative to implement Jewish law, traditions and institutions but also negotiate with a secular system. As a result, Jewish politics developed representatives to deal with outside authorities. It was also essential to guard against a hostile environment that Jewish community often faced as well. This led to the development of internal methods for fulfilling societal needs and other means of maintaining stability. Ultimately, Dowty argues, due to these societal requirements, the Jewish people early in their history acquired many attributes that nationhood entail[s] (Dowty, 1998). As a people who endured and survived in this societal context, their framework for self-governance existed centuries before the Zionist movement began. Jews often found themselves as a minority group in a larger
For a people whose traditions and rituals originate from the age of Egyptian pharaohs, modernity can be a relative term. The Jewish people have one of the oldest traditions of any culture on earth and have been a part of nearly every major civilization, from the ancient Egyptians, to the Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and British empires. Over the centuries, they have traditions both of successful self-governance but also of persecution, hostility and exile. The ability of the Jewish people to maintain their ethnic and religious identity throughout four millennia of peace and conflict illustrates not only the strength of their conviction but also their skill in organizing and leading themselves. Their uniquely Jewish political skill developed throughout history is an essential and compelling explanation for the preservation of their society (Dowty, 1998). For Alan Dowty, this political tradition is the key to understanding Israel both today and undoubtedly tomorrow. Whether autonomous or as part of a greater civilization, Jewish society often governed itself in some fashion or another. In governing themselves, it was imperative to implement Jewish law, traditions and institutions but also negotiate with a secular system. As a result, Jewish politics developed representatives to deal with outside authorities. It was also essential to guard against a hostile environment that Jewish community often faced as well. This led to the development of internal methods for fulfilling societal needs and other means of maintaining stability. Ultimately, Dowty argues, due to these societal requirements, the Jewish people early in their history acquired many attributes that nationhood entail[s] (Dowty, 1998). As a people who endured and survived in this societal context, their framework for self-governance existed centuries before the Zionist movement began. Jews often found themselves as a minority group in a larger
References: Dowty, A. (1998). Zionism 's greatest conceit. In Staff (Ed.),MSGL 510: Global Society Coursebook (Spring ed., Vol. 2013, p. 44). Indiana University Press. United Nations Special Committee on Palestine; report to the General Assembly, A/364, September 3, 1947