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This framework undermines the facts of Zionism, the chronicles of the Jewish people, and the history of the Land of Israel. Worse, it plays right into the anti-Zionist narrative, adopting the pro-Palestine voices that Zionism is but a modern phenomenon, a response to antisemitism, which was European and not Middle Eastern and, therefore, is foreign and inauthentic. Palestine 101 will win out every semester.
One response to this unfortunate reality is to create, at the first stage, a college-level course curriculum – the real thing. A description and introduction, motivating questions and topics, outline, assignments, readings, schedule and technical requirements.
The emphases should be, among others, the concept of the “Return to Zion” in Jewish sources and history; the centrality of the Land in Biblical, Talmudic and later Rabbinical writings, with references to religious, cultural and literary frames; the phenomenon of “false messiahs”; the continuum of the Jewish presence in the Land of Israel from 135-1880; as well as the charity emissaries who collected monies for the upkeep of the Jewish communities in Eretz Yisrael from Babylon to the Antilles to North America.
We cannot allow the continuation of what George Orwell described in the fifth chapter of his novel 1984: that our records be falsified, our books rewritten, dates altered: a literal “stopping of history” and the abolishing of the past. We cannot allow ourselves to be made victims of the purposeful eradication of our own footprint.
There are many Jewish foundations that could become involved. The Jewish Agency’s educational units should be a part. Yad Ben-Tzvi and the Zalman Shazar Center have readily available material. There will be a need for translations from Hebrew. There are new developments as well underway such as the George Blumenthal-sponsored website, Israel Archaeological Project documenting 3,500 years of Israelite presence in the Promised Land. As this is an intellectual effort, it really should not be that difficult.
What could be a problem is the lack of determination or elements of an inferiority complex as well as a lack of assertiveness. We need to proudly get out the truth about Jews, their national identity, and their relation with their homeland over the last 1800 years, and more.
The writer is a researcher, analyst, and opinion commentator on political, cultural, and media issues.
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Publish date : 2024-09-24 16:53:00
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