What do you think of Jewish self-determination aside the state of Israel?

Like where? A lot of different proposals were studied for the Jewish homeland, and none of them panned out.

The most legitimate claim to sovereignty (for Ashkenazi Jews) outside of Eretz Israel in the late 19th to 20th century was undoubtedly in Eastern Europe, but as far as I know, the Jews who were advocating for self-determination in Eastern Europe were obliterated by the Nazis or persecuted by the Bolsheviks for their nationalist ambitions. They were literally the victims of a genocide in their own land, and not much remains of the Yiddishland of yore.

A few proposals were studied elsewhere in Africa and even Asia, but they would still have displaced indigenous populations and would have been the product of colonialism. Not to mention the Jews had no real connection to these territories.

That leaves Israel or Galut (Exile).

It is disingenuous to pretend that Israel is a fictitious invention of colonial powers. The truth is that Jews all around the world have a sense of national identity and feel a connection to the land of Israel. There is ample archaeological evidence to support the fact that Jews were exiled from their homeland in Judea nearly two thousand years ago as a consequence of their revolts against the Roman Empire, and weren't allowed back.

Of course, this doesn't justify the political actions and goals of the modern-day State of Israel. One could also argue that the condition of Exile is an inherent part of Jewish identity. One could also point out that the restoration of the kingdom of Israel should come from God and not from men.

But that doesn't mean Jews don't have a legitimate connection to the land of Israel, and claiming otherwise, especially claiming that they should be driven out of Israel is demonstrably antisemitic.

/r/socialism Thread Parent