For decades, Joe Biden has proudly declared that he is a Zionist, and he has repeated that claim since Hamas’s 7 October attacks on Israel. But for the student anti-war protests gripping the US, the words “Zionist” and “Zionism” have become a watchword – pejorative and emblematic of the violent state policies driving the war on Gaza.
On social media and in the streets, critics no longer call out supporters of the state of Israel as “pro-Israel”: they call them Zionist. Some university encampments have posted signs saying: “Zionists not allowed.”
Student protesters say that their criticisms of Zionism are rooted in the state of Israel’s displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Pro-Israel activists have responded by defending the term. “If the last six months on campus have taught us anything, it is that a large and vocal population of the Columbia community does not understand the meaning of Zionism,” a group of more than 500 Columbia University students recently wrote. “We are proud to be Zionists.”
Mark that as another person who doesn’t understand what Zionism is.
Israel could make an arrangement with Christmas Island or some other low population nation to convert it to a safe place for ethnic Jews to live.
Zionism is about claiming that specific land (to the borders established under King David) as a Jewish (in faith and ethnic) nation to prepare it for the coming of the New Jerusalem.
Israel is a secular state led by white people in the middle east.
At this point Zionism is just white nationalism with a mask on.
Chrismas Island is 135km2 (about 50 square miles) and under Australian rule. I don’t think that’s quite what you’re looking for.
Your wider point still stands though and I agree with you.