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Jewish history goes missing in university courses on Zionism

British universities are churning out students who see Israel as a European colonial project. Jewish Studies Professor Catherine Hezser explains where it has all gone so wrong

October 1, 2020 10:48
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ByCatherine Hezser, catherine hezser

5 min read

In their essays, students often associate Zionism with European colonialism, presenting the State of Israel as the outcome of a European colonial takeover of Palestinian territory. I always wonder where this erroneous and simplistic equation comes from.

While Europe was where the Zionist movement emerged at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the historical context, aims and strategies were entirely different.

The relation between Jews and colonialism is a hot and controversial topic that needs to be investigated across the various time periods, taking the political, social, and economic circumstances into account.

The notion of empire, conquests of foreign territories, and the suppression of local populations were a common occurrence in the ancient and medieval periods already.