Zionism is not simply an idea.

“Zionism is not simply an idea, one with a history and a political economy, but also a practice.” – Edward Said

Zionism has a lot of theoretical interpretations (Herzl’s Labour Zionism, Jabotinsky’s Revisionist version, Rabbi Cook’s National-Religious form, as well as spiritual and political views on it) but no matter which particular political or economic idea lays on the root of it, it comes with the logic of elimination. This logic of elimination consists out of a structural practice that focuses on land, and on people.

Let us first take a look on the element of land acquisition. Numerous examples of this practice can be given, of which two classical ones stand out:  the land acquisition of 1948 and that of 1967.This practice is further implemented in the policy of building settlements in occupied territories and in building infrastructure for Jewish use only. We find an example of the settlement policy in the retaliations that Shamir (back then leader of the right wing Likud party) put on the peace negotiations of the Madrid Round (1991) by stressing that “as long as we are talking we have not yet made any agreement” so Israel can continue creating “facts on the ground” (building settlements on occupied territories).

The second practice is linked to the first one (land), and consists out of a focus on people (also called the “demographic war”). Acquired land needs to be cleansed from its people. This is the ongoing Naqba that started in 1948. This Naqba takes place by destroying Palestinian villages, making thousands of people flee to UNRWA camps in the West Bank and Jordan. Other examples are the aliyah (meaning “ascent”), this is the immigration influx of Jews from all over the world – facilitated by granting them all a right to “return” to Israel. Also in the decentralization of Israeli government power to the Jewish Agency we see an example of the demographic war. Decentralization makes sure that beneficial (birth) policies do only affect Jews – no other Israeli inhabitants. Another example consists out of the rupture disjunction between nationality and citizenship. There only exists Jewish nationality – no Israeli one.

As the list of examples can go on and on, one effect of it is clear above all. Where in 1948 non-jewish inhabitants of historic Palestine added up to 90% – 93%, now their number has shrunk to 20%. The other side of the coin is that a 65% majority of people living in Jordan is from Palestinian descent – with 43% having the UNRWA refugee status.
These trends show that – more than being a theory – Zionism consists of a structural practice. One with a tremendous impact.