We hear so much about the zionists and Zionism these days. Let’s break it downโThe good, the bad, and the Zionist.
The term “Zionism” stems from the concept of Zion, “แนขฤซyyลn” in Hebrew, the hill upon which the city of Jerusalem is built. For 2,000 years, after being exiled from their ancestral Homeland, Jews around the world yearned and prayed towards Zion, pleading with God to allow them to return to Jerusalem.
We hear this heart cry of our people in Psalm 137:1, “By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.”
How truly prophetic those words are!
The Zionist movement initiated the realization of the long-awaited dream of reestablishing a Jewish Homeland in the land of Israel. It is clear to us, now more than ever, that the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 was the fulfillment of God’s promise to gather His people back to Zion.
This miracle was described in Ezekiel 36:24, “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.”
However, opponents of the biblical vision of the Jewish return have often used the term “the Zionist entity” to deny the rights and historical connection of the Jewish people to the land. This narrative portrays Zionism as an illegitimate Colonial project.
Figures such as Osama Bin Laden adopted this rhetoric. For example, in his 1996 FATWA, which was his Manifesto of war against the West, Bin Laden frequently condemned the zionists rather than mentioning the name Israel.
Despite this hostility, it’s important to recognize that Israel’s modern rebirth is intertwined with the Zionist vision grounded in God’s biblical promises.
Israel’s blessing is directly connected to God’s blessing to the world. Isaiah 2:3 predicts people gathering in Jerusalem to learn God’s ways, “For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
Believing in Israel’s right to the land means embracing Zionism, a movement that is not just political but spiritual. If you stand with God’s biblical promises for Israel, congratulations, you are a Zionist.
Remember, Zionism isn’t just a good thing; it’s a God thing.
Amir Tsarfati is a fmr Deputy Governor of Jericho, Israeli tour guide, author, and the Founder and President of Behold Israel.
