What Is Zionism? A Beginner’s Guide to a Colonial Ideology

Published on 26th June 2025

What Is Zionism – And Why It Matters Today

Zionism is a modern political ideology that began in the late 19th century, originally as a movement among some European Jews who believed the solution to anti-Jewish persecution in Europe was to establish a separate Jewish state – specifically in Palestine. At the time, Palestine was a land already inhabited by a majority Palestinian Arab population, both Muslim and Christian, with a small Jewish minority who had lived there for centuries.¹

Zionism emerged in response to rising antisemitism in Europe, but rather than challenging racism where it existed, it aimed to solve it by removing Jews from Europe altogether. This idea gained momentum during and after World War II, especially following the Holocaust. In 1948, the State of Israel was established through a process that involved the mass displacement of Palestinians, an event known as the Nakba (Arabic for “catastrophe”), when over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly and violently expelled or fled from their homes.²

Since then, Zionism has evolved into a state ideology that continues to justify the occupation, colonisation, and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. It plays a central role in Israeli policy, which includes illegal settlements, apartheid laws, and military aggression, especially visible today in the ongoing siege and genocide in Gaza.³

Many Jewish people around the world do not support Zionism and see it as a betrayal of their faith’s core values. Zionism has hijacked Judaism, turning a rich spiritual and ethical tradition into a nationalist, colonial project. Criticising Zionism is not antisemitic; it’s a stand against racism, colonialism, and genocide.

Understanding Zionism is key to understanding the root of the injustice in Palestine, and why so many people, Jews and non-Jews alike, are standing up to oppose it.

Zionism ≠ Judaism

One of the biggest misconceptions is that Zionism and Judaism are the same. Judaism is a religion and cultural tradition that’s thousands of years old. Zionism, on the other hand, is a modern political ideology that emerged in the 1800s, largely among secular European Jews. ⁵

Many Jews have opposed Zionism since it began. Some saw it as a betrayal of Judaism’s spiritual teachings, while others believed Jews should fight for equality where they lived, not build a state on someone else’s land. Today, Jewish groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, Tzedek Collective, and Neturei Karta actively oppose Zionism and the Israeli state’s violence. ⁶

Zionism has also attracted support from non-Jewish groups, notably Christian Zionists, who believe that the establishment of Israel fulfills biblical prophecy.

Is Zionism in the Bible?

No – Zionism is not found in the Bible. While the term Zion appears throughout the Hebrew Bible (referring to a hill in Jerusalem, and later symbolically to the land of Israel), these references are religious and poetic – not political. They express a spiritual connection or longing, not a plan for creating a modern nation-state. ⁸

Zionism, as it exists today, is a modern political ideology that began in late 19th-century Europe. It emerged as a response to growing antisemitism, pogroms pogroms (violent anti-Jewish riots), and exclusion, and was focused on establishing a state to protect Jews – eventually zeroing in on Palestine as the location. The idea was nationalist and colonial in nature, not theological. ⁹

However, confusion often arises for a few reasons:

Religious language was adopted by political Zionists, especially later on, to give their goals a biblical or spiritual veneer.
Christian Zionists, particularly among evangelical movements, believe that the return of Jews to the Holy Land is a necessary step for fulfilling end-times prophecy. This belief predates political Zionism and is based on theological interpretations of the Bible – not Jewish tradition or demands.
Some people equate any reference to Zion or the Promised Land with modern Zionism, even though they are rooted in entirely different contexts.

In fact, many religious Jews historically believed that returning to the Holy Land and rebuilding a Jewish state should only happen with divine intervention, and that attempting to do so politically was a violation of Jewish law. Groups like Neturei Karta still hold this view today. ¹⁰

Zionism uses biblical language, but it is not biblical in origin. It’s a modern ideology that borrows selectively from religion to justify its colonial project.

Why Did Zionism Emerge?

Zionism was born in response to European antisemitism, pogroms (violent anti-Jewish riots), and exclusion. Many European Jews felt there was no future for them in hostile Christian societies. One of the early Zionist leaders, Theodor Herzl, argued that Jews would only be safe if they had a state of their own. ¹¹

But instead of fighting for justice in Europe, Zionism looked toward colonising Palestine, which was already home to a large Palestinian Arab population – Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

Other countries were also considered, but Palestine was chosen for the religious association.

The Balfour Declaration and British Support

In 1917, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, promising to support the creation of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, even though the vast majority of people living there were Palestinian Arabs. This was done without consulting the native population. It marked the beginning of a long alliance between Zionist leaders and Western imperial powers. ¹²

The British had also made contradictory promises to Arab leaders during WWI, offering support for Arab independence in exchange for revolting against the Ottomans. ¹³

Early Zionist leaders openly described their goals using the language of colonialism.¹⁴

The Nakba: Zionism in Action

In 1948, the State of Israel was established. To make that possible, Zionist militias forcibly expelled over 750,000 Palestinians and destroyed more than 500 towns and villages. This is known as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.” Families were driven out at gunpoint, massacres took place (such as Deir Yassin), and Palestinians were never allowed to return. ¹⁵

This was not an accident – it was part of the Zionist plan to create a Jewish majority in a land where Jews were a minority.

It’s also worth noting the 1933 Haavara Agreement, which facilitated the emigration of about 50,000 German Jews to Palestine through a deal between Zionist leaders and Nazi Germany. This economic agreement indirectly helped Zionist goals while undermining the global Jewish-led boycott of Nazi Germany. ¹⁶

Today’s Zionism: Apartheid and Genocide

Zionism didn’t stop in 1948. In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. Since then, it has continued building illegal settlements, enforcing military rule, and controlling nearly every aspect of Palestinian life. Gaza has been under a brutal blockade since 2007, and in recent years, including 2023–2025, Israel has carried out massive military assaults, leading to tens of thousands of deaths. ¹⁷

As of June 2025, over 54,000 Palestinians, including 17,400 children, have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s ongoing bombardment.

Zionism is the ideology used to justify these actions, treating Palestinians as obstacles to a “Jewish state” rather than as people with rights.

Zionism Hijacked Judaism

Zionism has taken the suffering of Jewish people, and the horrors of the Holocaust, and twisted it into a justification for ethnic cleansing. This has done deep harm to both Palestinians and Jews.

Many Jewish scholars and activists argue that Zionism distorts the values of Judaism, which teaches justice, compassion, and dignity for all people. It also puts Jews in danger by associating Jewish identity with a violent, colonial state. ¹⁸

Historically, many religious Jews believed returning to the Holy Land without divine permission was a violation of Jewish law – something only the Messiah could initiate. ¹⁹

What Can We Do?

Understanding Zionism helps explain why the crisis in Palestine isn’t just a “conflict” or “war”; it’s about settler colonialism, apartheid, and genocide. And it’s not new—it’s been happening for over a century.

If you believe in justice, you can:

Learn more and share what you know
Support Palestinian-led movements
Oppose Zionism without feeding into antisemitism
Push for your governments to stop funding Israel’s war crimes

Footnotes

Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine (Metropolitan Books, 2020).
Ilan Pappé, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Oneworld Publications, 2006)
B’Tselem, “This Is Apartheid,” 2021. https://www.btselem.org/publications/fulltext/202101_this_is_apartheid
Jewish Voice for Peace, “Why We Oppose Zionism,” https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Gershon Shafir, Land, Labor and the Origins of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (University of California Press, 1989).
Jewish Voice for Peace, Tzedek Collective, Neturei Karta official websites.
Stephen Spector, Evangelicals and Israel (Oxford University Press, 2009).
Nahum M. Sarna, Genesis: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation Commentary (Jewish Publication Society, 1989).
Theodor Herzl, The Jewish State (1896).
Neturei Karta official statements and writings.
Herzl, The Jewish State (1896).
The Balfour Declaration text, UK National Archives.
Philip H. Stoddard, “British Policy and the Arab Revolt,” Middle Eastern Studies (1986).
Ilan Pappé, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.
Benny Morris, 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War (Yale University Press, 2008).
Edwin Black, The Transfer Agreement (Dialog Press, 2009).
United Nations OCHA, Gaza Casualty Reports 2023–2025.
Norman Finkelstein, Beyond Chutzpah (University of California Press, 2005).
Neturei Karta, official position papers.
Ilan Pappé, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.
Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
Jewish Voice for Peace, https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
Visualizing Palestine, https://visualizingpalestine.org
Al Jazeera: Zionism – Colonialism and Racism