Is Zionism a Spiritual Phenomenon?

[The Architect Of Fate]

The original Zionists were secular, so doubtful.

Funny then how the modern version are always going on about god

[Leonardo17]

[Belacqua]

The original Zionists were secular, so doubtful.

It's true. Zionism has an interesting history.

Theodor Herzl was an atheist. He proposed building a Jewish state somewhere, but it didn't necessarily have to be in Palestine. People proposed buying up a large part of South America or maybe Africa and making it a Jewish homeland. 

Many early supporters of Zionism were antisemites. Antisemitic Germans, for example, thought it would be a good idea to get the Jews out of Germany and send them to "where they belong." 

There's always been a religious side to it, or religious people who participate, but that's far from all it is.

Recently Sam Harris (remember him?) has shown that he's a passionate Zionist, who is willing to say that religion isn't all bad, if it involves Israel. 

As usual, it's pretty clear that a lot of the horror in the world that gets blamed on religion is political, economic, and, above all, ideological.

[Belacqua]

For my part I think the Israel is probably the last thing Arabs should worry about.

No doubt the Arabs will agree with you when Israel stops killing people in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.

[Leonardo17]

For my part I think the Israel is probably the last thing Arabs should worry about.

No doubt the Arabs will agree with you when Israel stops killing people in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.

Look at Algeria, Lybia, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Afghanistan and even Pakistan (I mean Muslims in general). And where they are not killing one another, the younger generation is trying to flee to Europe because of unemployment (Like Morocco or Tunisia) or they don’t know what to do with their growing population. Egypt is clearly moving toward a 130 million inhabitant figure until 2050. They are already dependent on the grain from Ukraine and they are turning fertile soils that are irrigated by the Nile into construction sites because of the rapidly growing population.
 
Finally, the part of the Arab world that saddens me the worst is Iraq. That part of the Middle-East is literally the Cradle of Civilization. In the past the Tigris and Euphrates River there would nourish large amounts of population. The region was more than self-sufficient in agricultural terms. And the climate was benign. There was no such 120 Degree temperature in this region in the past. + It was a region full of cultural centers, world-renowned schools and trade between East and West (I’m not exaggerating anything that’s how it was until the beginning of the second half of the last century).
 
Today there is climate change. Most crops are no longer produced in this region anymore. People are saying that the whole region might be un-inhabitable by the end of this century.
 
On Zionism:
 
I don’t know about the issue very well. That’s why I created this topic.
 
You know in Ottoman times Jews and Greeks had their own neighborhoods in Constantinople and other cities. Armenians and other minorities disposed of immense wealth that they created through industries or trade activities. The Druze and Alawite communities who are being attacked by Sunnite Arabs as we speak were allowed to practice their faith as long as they paid their taxes.
 
This is just to say that in a more “primitive” world in comparison to our own all of the above had found a way to live together somehow while in our more “modern” world the only solution that is offered is the “it’s you or it’s me” solution. I don’t know if this is normal

[Leonardo17]