Judaism is not Zionism

I am a Jewish American person. I’d like to take a few minutes to write about one of the most dangerous lies I was brought up with. Like many lies, it is often built on good intentions. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. My immediate ancestors grew up during and after the Holocaust. They lived in a different part of the world, after leaving Eastern Europe to avoid the Russian Draft in World War I. Judaism is almost 6,000 years old. The political movement that is called Zionism, or the belief in establishing a Jewish State in the Middle East, began in 1897. Judaism has existed far

I am not Zionist. I abhor nationhood and consider it to be a grand evil of our time. "It is a lie which has brought many innocent people untold suffering and if unchecked has the potential to create extraordinary tragedy in the future. It is the lie that declares that Judaism and Zionism are identical."* I still think we can learn from our past.

Religious extremists, be they Christian, Muslim, or Jewish, WANT you to distrust and mistreat all muslims, so that they will have an easier time drawing disenfranchised people into their ranks. If you really want to fight extremism, start treating your Muslim neighbors like human beings. Also they are human beings, and deserved that in the first place.

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing amongst you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” Leviticus 19:33-34