Two Thirds Done

Thoughts and experiences of an eighty one year old Wild Duck.

Avram Miller by the sea
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587 posts since 2006

Tag: zionism

  • Israel’s actions and its impact on the Jewish Diaspora

    Most Israeli Jews think of themselves first as Israelis and second as Jews. Regarding the Jewish diaspora, they generally believe that one of Israel’s core purposes, the Zionist mission, is to provide a safe haven for Jews. While I disagree with the actions of the current Israeli government, I subscribe to this belief myself. I am a Zionist and believe that the Jewish people must have their own homeland if they are to survive.

    Unfortunately, this movement has been distorted under Netanyahu and his coalition, particularly through the support of the settler movement and the treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank. While I understand the desire for an Israel that encompasses the heart of the ancient Jewish homeland in Judea and Samaria, we must also recognize that Palestinians have a legitimate claim. Regrettably, they do not reciprocate by accepting the right of Jews to their own homeland.

    As I have written previously, I believe the future of the diaspora is already in jeopardy due to intermarriage and declining birthrates. While Israel’s actions since October 7, 2023, have contributed significantly to the rapid rise of antisemitism, they did not cause it; they merely gave expression to the latent antisemitism that characterizes much of the Western world.

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  • Israel and the Future of the Jewish People Part II

    The history of the Jewish people before the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel around 1000 BCE, under King David, is not fully understood. What we do know is that the ancestors of the Jewish nation lived in Canaan. The Kingdom of Israel was their first independent state.

    Over time, the land was conquered repeatedly—first by the Assyrian Empire, then by the Babylonians, later by the Persians, and eventually by the Greeks. Independence was briefly restored under the Hasmoneans, but Rome ultimately took control. Following a series of revolts, the Romans forced many Jews into exile, scattering them throughout their empire, particularly in North Africa and Europe. Yet not all left—Jews continued to live in the Land of Israel, maintaining an unbroken presence that has lasted to this day.

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