Why Israel is not a colonialist country
The number of erroneous adjectives used these days to describe Israel can make your head spin. Of course, many terms thrown around to define the Jewish homeland are often politically charged labels, intended to denigrate the nation that was established as a refuge for all Jews and the ancestral home to which they were returning.
One of the more popular terms we’ve heard, nowadays, which is more of an indictment and accusation against Israel, is that it is a colonialist entity, bolstering the claim that they are the oppressors suppressing the underdog – better known as the Palestinian people. But before anyone decides to accept that assertion, it might be a good idea to bone up on colonialism, what it involves and how one earns that title.
The dictionary definition of colonialism is “the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically.”
Another characteristic of a colonialist power is “when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while forcing its own language and cultural values upon its people.”
Why are these explanations not applicable to the nation of Israel? Because the country was granted by a majority of other nations who agreed that the land should be partitioned into two entities – one for the Jewish people and one for the Arab people (as they were called at the time).
What happened after that has led dishonest people to co-opt a term which neither fits nor reflects the situation of how Israel became an independent, vibrant, sovereign and powerful nation and why it must stay that way in order to survive.
While Israel aspired to live peaceably with her neighbors, from the start, her neighbors, instead, sought to oust her and dominate the region with its own populations. With each of the wars, Israel was forced to fight, she has improved her position as a result of taking territory lost by the enemy, thereby strengthening her security and strategic interests. This is no different from other countries which have, likewise, increased their own land.
After WWII, for example, “Poland acquired new territory as did Greece, Italy and Romania, which doubled its size.” Another well-known acquisition of land took place in “1845 when America’s victory in the Mexican-American war resulted in the annexation of the Republic of Texas and half of Mexico’s territory, including what was quickly made the state of California.”
The seizing of additional territory, as the result of the spoils of war, however, is completely different from well-established countries, which have become colonialist powers that established colonies within other lands. Among those are Britain, France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and a number of others. For example: “At its height in the early 20th century, the British Empire spanned the globe with colonies in North America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia. Today, there are 55 colonies, including 17 territories in the world which still have colonies. Australia has 6, Denmark and Netherlands each have 2, France has 12, New Zealand and Norway both have 3, and the United Kingdom and the U.S. both have 14. In fact, it is said that almost every country in the world has had colonies in different parts of the world, leaving a lasting impact on their cultures, economies and politics.”
Nonetheless, Israel, for the sake of peace, has been willing to give up land, and that was evident when it returned the Sinai in 1982 and the Gaza Strip as well as Northern Samaria in 2005. Of course, despite those concessions, lasting peace has never been achieved to this day.
It's important, however, to note that colonialism made its mark on other countries by imposing its particular culture and systems on the people it controlled. In fact, those who were under the rule of colonialism were “forced to unify under a single national identity.”
Those who have some knowledge about the State of Israel cannot truthfully claim that such a practice is being done. Palestinians, living in Israel proper or in neighboring Gaza or beyond the green line, still maintain their own Arab culture and identity, language, lifestyle and all that goes with that. Many do not know Hebrew nor do they celebrate the Jewish Biblical or cultural holidays. They continue to observe Ramadan and all their other feasts and celebrations which are unique to Muslims. Their shops are open on the Sabbath, and they are not required to integrate into Israeli society unless that is their choice.
Arab populations, within Israel, are able to achieve success at the same level as the Jewish population. To the extent that an individual excels in school, is hard-working, industrious, ambitious and diligent, they can become highly-paid professionals with positions of responsibility and authority, but, again, this is true for any population in any geographic location. Consequently, many of those born into poverty have been able to raise themselves out of that station and succeed in building a good life for themselves and their future families.
As to the claim of exploitation, which is bandied about, by today’s young progressives whose limited knowledge of history is constantly being adapted and rewritten to better conform with their two-box narrative of oppressed and oppressor, Israel is a country where Jews and Arabs live together in the same housing complexes, attend the same classes, use the same health facilities and vote together in the same elections. It is a country where there is a more than likely chance that your treating doctor or your university professor will be an Arab.
If that’s exploitation of a population, then where does one sign up?
The problem is that a new generation, which has been systematically indoctrinated to believe that democratic and free governments are all based upon a centuries-long framework of the powerful dominating the weak, is still trying to connect dots that no longer exist.
Here is the real truth! Colonialism provided a very convenient excuse for preventing the disenfranchised from rising to their full potential, but once it began to subside, it became the individual’s responsibility to work hard, use whatever advantages and assets that they had to better their situation and achieve the most success possible.
For the lazy, unmotivated and those lacking drive and ambition, it just became easier to revert to accusing powerful individuals of suppressing them when, in fact, in many cases, they had no one to blame but themselves for not doing more to take advantage of countless opportunities presented to them.
Not all of us can become billionaires, but, with a bit of self-discipline and the willingness to delay gratification, those who study and work hard, invest their money and plan out a family and career choice, can attain a better-than-average level of wealth and upward mobility.
Sadly, few employ those successful calculations, and that is how they cover up their own failure by labeling others as oppressors who keep them down. Israel, characterized as a colonialist country, works right into that cynical misuse of being responsible for Palestinian suffering.
However, it’s time to call out the lie and debunk the claim which has no bearing on the Jewish homeland that has not only sought to create a safe haven for Jews, who were truly oppressed by others for millennia but, most importantly, to change their status from victim to victor – while offering the same opportunities for its minority populations.
That is probably the strongest argument as to why Israel is NOT a colonialist country!
A former Jerusalem elementary and middle-school principal who made Aliyah in 1993 and became a member of Kibbutz Reim but now lives in the center of the country with her husband. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the principles from the book of Proverbs - available on Amazon.
