A moral justification for Zionism and the Jewish nation state: the consequences of contemporary manifestations of anti-Judaism

Abstract

This report investigates and argues for the moral justification around the existence of a Jewish nation state from the perspective of a sustained prevalence of anti-Judaism thought and conduct. The study initially conducts a critical examination of the work of Chaim Gans, a leading thinker on the political philosophy of Zionism and its underlying moral justification. Gans identified two principal justifications for the existence of a national home for the Jewish people being the universal right to self-determination and an historical claim to a specific land. Whilst there was some consideration by Gans of Jewish persecution, there was no clear acceptance that historical and contemporary anti-Judaism represented a further justification. The report goes on to provide substantive arguments in support of the contention that anti-Judaism represents a primary justification in the claim for the preservation of a Jewish nation state. The arguments canvass five concepts namely Identity and Nationalism; Anti-Judaism Uniqueness; International Ethics and anti-Zionism; Dignity, Human Rights and Jewish Sovereignty and finally Memory. The finding in this report is that anti-Judaism, as a perennial, pervasive and existential phenomenon, has a transcending impact on the morality of Zionism as a political philosophy and justifies the preservation of Israel as the singular nation state for the Jewish people