I Am a Damn Zionist. So Shut the Hell Up.
There. We got the scary word out of the way.
Zionist.
Some people say it like they’re announcing a medical diagnosis. Others whisper it as though they’ve uncovered a criminal conspiracy. The internet has turned it into a slur because apparently believing the Jewish people have the right to a homeland is now considered more offensive than cheering for organizations that openly celebrate terrorism. We live in strange times.
So let me save everyone a few hours of performative outrage.
I am a Zionist.
Not secretly.
Not reluctantly.
Not with an apology attached.
Loudly.
Proudly.
Without asking your permission.
Now shut the hell up.
The funniest part of this entire circus is watching people who couldn’t find Israel on a map six months ago suddenly become self-appointed experts on seventy-five years of history, three thousand years of Jewish civilization, international law, military strategy, archaeology, diplomacy, and apparently Jewish identity itself. It’s remarkable. Human confidence truly is an unlimited natural resource.
You lecture Jews about Zionism?
That’s adorable.
It’s like explaining surfing to Hawaiians, wine to the French, or democracy to Israelis who argue with each other so much they’ve practically turned disagreement into a national sport.
Here’s what drives the outrage merchants absolutely insane.
Israel exists.
Not theoretically.
Not conditionally.
Actually.
Children speak Hebrew in the streets. Farmers harvest vineyards in the Galilee. Tech companies invent the future in Tel Aviv. Families welcome Shabbat in Jerusalem. Soldiers protect citizens. Universities produce world-class research. Synagogues are full. Restaurants are packed. Beaches are crowded.
Reality is incredibly rude to propaganda.
Every morning the sun rises over a sovereign Jewish state.
Every morning.
No hashtag has managed to stop that yet.
The anti-Israel professional outrage industry operates like a broken vending machine. Insert one slogan. Receive one recycled talking point. Press harder if facts become inconvenient.
“Colonialist!”
The Jewish connection to the Land of Israel predates the invention of Christianity, Islam, most European nation-states, and every social media influencer currently explaining Middle Eastern history between makeup tutorials and protein shake reviews.
“Apartheid!”
Tell that to the Arab doctors treating Jewish patients, the Arab judges serving on Israel’s courts, the Arab members of the Knesset, the Arab entrepreneurs building companies, and the Druze officers serving in the IDF. Israel is not a perfect society. No democracy is. But throwing around emotionally loaded labels instead of making serious arguments isn’t analysis. It’s marketing.
The irony is almost artistic.
The people shouting the loudest about “decolonization” somehow decided the one indigenous people who successfully revived their ancient language in their ancestral homeland are… the colonizers.
You couldn’t invent satire this good.
History already beat you to it.
Then comes my favorite performance.
“I’m not against Jews. I’m just against Zionists.”
Right.
That’s like saying you’re not against Italians, only people who believe Italy should exist.
Or you’re not against Japanese people, only those who think Japan should remain on the map.
The double standard isn’t subtle. It’s practically wearing a neon sign.
Here’s the part that really seems to sting.
Zionism won.
It isn’t a proposal.
It isn’t an experiment.
It isn’t awaiting committee approval.
It’s a country.
A thriving, noisy, argumentative, innovative democracy.
You don’t have to like that.
Reality has never required unanimous applause.
You can spend your life tweeting, marching, chanting, boycotting, and announcing that Israel has only “five more minutes.” Generations before you made exactly the same prediction.
They were wrong.
You’ll be wrong too.
The Jewish story didn’t begin with your opinion, and it won’t end because of it.
The Jewish people have survived empires that once believed they were eternal.
Pharaoh is gone.
Babylon is gone.
Rome is gone.
The Soviet Union is gone.
The Third Reich is gone.
The Jewish people are still here.
Israel is still here.
Hebrew is still spoken.
Shabbat still arrives every Friday night.
Children still laugh in Jerusalem.
The flag still flies.
That is what infuriates the people who confuse slogans with history.
So if my existence offends you…
If my Zionism bothers you…
If the sight of a free Jewish nation keeps you awake at night…
That sounds exhausting.
Because I’m not going anywhere.
Neither is Israel.
Deal with reality.
Add another name to your ‘problem’ list. Unapologetic Zionist, no hyphen, no hedge, no permission slip requested. Didn’t need your approval to become one, don’t need it now. Israel woke up sovereign again this morning. So did I. Get used to both.
For two weeks I saw and lived the reality you talked about. I’ve traveled a lot and lived in many places, but never have I seen such collective beautiful faces shining with a “joie de vivre!”