By Sarit Tsor, July 2025
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has gained renewed global attention and heightened emotions following the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in the Gaza Envelope of Israel, which initiated a war that is still ongoing as I write this in July 2025. Alongside this, the term “Zionism” has become increasingly controversial. Many pro-Palestinian protest groups now use the term anti-Zionist to justify their support for the Palestinian cause, insisting that anti-Zionism is a protest of the Israeli government, and not an anti-Jewish sentiment, known as antisemitism.
Zionism, at its core, is often viewed as a late 19th-century movement for Jewish self-determination and the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the historical Land of Israel. It arose in response to European antisemitism and government-sanctioned pogroms that made life in Europe difficult and dangerous for Jews.
I grew up in Israel—a granddaughter of people who were pioneers in the rebuilding of the Land of Israel and the establishment of the modern State of Israel. My grandmother escaped Ukraine as a young child with her parents on a harrowing journey by foot, in the snow, traveling at night to avoid pogrom perpetrators in the early 1920s. My grandfather joined a Jewish youth movement in Lithuania after his Bar Mitzvah and traveled to the Land of Israel in 1932 at the age of 17, without his family—most of whom later perished in the Holocaust. My grandparents met in the mid-1930s in a kibbutz training program. Together with other pioneers, they founded and built Kibbutz Ginosar in 1937 on the shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in northern Israel.
Like many of their peers, my grandparents believed that establishing Jewish communities in the Land of Israel—and eventually a Jewish state—was the only way to ensure safety and well-being for the Jewish people. According to the traditional interpretation of the term Zionism, they were Zionists. Growing up, I felt proud and connected to their mission and actions: they renewed the home of the Jewish people in our historical homeland and made real the importance of a Jewish state for Jewish continuity.
However, Zionism is much more complex and nuanced than simply a movement that led to the establishment of the State of Israel. I recently attended a seminar as part of the iFellow program of the iCenter for Israel Education in Chicago, IL. As we explored “The Many Faces of Zionism,” I was reminded not only of the ideological diversity within Zionist thought but also of its historical origins, which go as far back as biblical times. I was awakened to the idea that “Zionism” truly refers to the Jewish people’s original life in the Land of Israel and their yearning to return each time they were exiled.
The name Zion is one of the biblical names associated with Jerusalem, a city that has been the center of Jewish life since the early days of the Torah (the Jewish Bible). Jerusalem was the site of the Temple, the center of Jewish worship and a symbol of God’s presence. The Temple grounds also held a marketplace and judicial offices enforcing Jewish law. The Bible recounts the Israelites’ history in the Land of Israel—not only in Jerusalem—but also their exile and their hope for return.
In the first book of the Torah, God made a promise to Abraham, and later to Isaac and Jacob, that the land of Israel (then called Canaan) would belong to them and their descendants. When Abraham nearly sacrifices Isaac, the event occurs on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem (later identified as the Temple Mount). Later, the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt and their journey to the Promised Land further demonstrate this connection; they did not escape to just any land, but specifically journeyed toward Israel—the Promised Land.
Jerusalem was established as the capital of Israel under King David, and afterward, King Solomon built the First Temple on Mount Moriah. After the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people, multiple prophets spoke of the eventual return to the land and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.
This connection persisted beyond the biblical period. Jewish traditions—including Psalms, liturgy, and prayers—express longing for the rebuilding of Zion and the return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. Hebrew medieval poems (piyyutim), dating back to the post-Temple period, specifically express yearning to see Zion and Jerusalem restored to their former glory.
So, if all this evidence exists of the historical and spiritual connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel and Jerusalem which is the source and core of Zionism — why is the term Zionism still so controversial?
The ADL (Anti-Defamation League) explains that “sometimes, people make anti-Zionist statements without an understanding of what Zionism or anti-Zionism is, but rather because they think opposing Zionism is the same as opposing Israeli government policy.”* This provides a helpful explanation for some of the confusion. For some well-meaning individuals who believe the Palestinian plight is a direct result of Israeli policies, it may feel logical to oppose those policies in order to show support for the people they care about. Because “Zion” is associated with Israel, it may also feel logical to oppose “Zionists”—i.e., Israelis or Jews who support the State of Israel. However, this demonstrates, at best, a misunderstanding of Zionism—and at worst, a modern form of antisemitism.
In August 2024, a visibly Jewish man was stabbed near the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn while the attacker yelled, “Free Palestine.” In May 2025, a young couple was gunned down outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum by an anti-Israel radical. The 30-year-old suspect told police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” and shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away. These are just two examples of Jews being violently targeted in the name of Palestinian solidarity.
The slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which some anti-Zionists use in their protests, originated in 1964 under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, when the PLO called for the establishment of a single Palestinian state that would extend from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and encompass its historic territories.** Basically the entire area that is now the State of Israel. “Globalize the Intifada” is another slogan that can be interpreted as a call for violence against Jews, as representatives of the State of Israel.*** These slogans are concerning to many Jews because they are often used by individuals who perpetrate violence. If these individuals are truly advocating for Palestinian rights and opposing Israeli government policy—why are they attacking Jews who have no role in that policy? Are these actions legitimate resistance, or antisemitic acts masked as anti-Zionism?
As a Jewish educator, I wrestle with how best to approach Israel education considering these complexities. In New Hampshire, where I live and work, views on the issue vary widely across the political spectrum. I strive to remain neutral and respectful of others’ opinions while also feeling a strong responsibility to educate with a foundation of facts as well as important Jewish values such as justice and peace.
The issue remains controversial, emotional, and divisive. As I continue my journey with the iFellow Israel education program, I hope my fellow educators and I will discover meaningful insights and resources to help us navigate this terrain. I look forward to continuing the journey with my Kehila Lomedet (Learning Community). I also look forward to sharing my learning with the TBA community—both children and adults—so we can work together to foster Israel knowledge and understanding that is meaningful, impactful, and just.
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*https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/anti-zionism
*** https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/what-does-globalize-the-intifada-mean