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From: abeles@mhuxm.UUCP (J. Abeles (Bellcore, Murray Hill, NJ))
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism
Message-ID: <493@mhuxm.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Dec-85 12:40:30 EST
Article-I.D.: mhuxm.493
Posted: Fri Dec  6 12:40:30 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 15:25:04 EST
References: <301@cisden.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 21

> 	First, consider the situation of a Russian patriot today.  He most
> likely would welcome the destruction of the State, and that *because* of his
> patriotism.  The same applies, I would think, to anyone who denies the 
> legitimacy of the current government of his country.  Are any anti-Zionists
> of this sort?
Zionism is not the advocacy of a State, it is the advocacy of a homeland
for Jews in Palestine, so challenging the particular government in power
in Israel is not anti-Zionism...
> 	Second, a person might think that the existence of the State was
> destructive of the real good of the people.  For instance, it wouldn't be 
> inconsistent for me, a Catholic, to advocate the dissolution of the Vatican
> City, if I thought that the existence of the Vatican as an independent State
> was harmful to Catholicism.  I think most non-Zionist Jews fit into this
> category.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  
Again, Zionism advocates the existence of a homeland for Jews, and is
not related to the form of or even existence of a government there.
Practically speaking, however, the government appears to be necessary,
and if the Jews in question want there to be a government, they would
appear to be defended in this aspiration by Zionism (because the essence
of Zionism is that there be a homeland for the Jews in which they be free
to organize however they feel appropriate).