George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 14/10/2026But in the 1920s, some of them changed their views. They became anti-Zionists. Why? Because they believed that if Jews achieved a dedicated homeland, this would give antisemites yet another excuse to expel them from Europe and Russia. 328214
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 14/10/2026In the late 1930s, as the scale and intent of the Holocaust became clear, some of my ancestors and relatives, like many Jews across Europe, changed their minds again. A permanent refuge suddenly looked like a very good idea. Is this because they were racist? No. It's because they were desperate. 1129514
GHOULrandTheftArtaud @itskristenpaul.bsky.social · 14/10/2026I completely agree. And am stunned that Israel now thinks that their long term interests are aligned with the far right in Europe and The US. 020
Ivor Middleton @iwasid.bsky.social · 15/10/2026"Is this because they were racist? No." George, 1) I fear you have a rose-tinted view of early #Zionism. There was no golden age of nicey-nicey liberal Zionism. Look at each and every Zionist leader across the decades, from the 1890s forward. They had shocking views about race and supremacism. 100
Johan T. @johant.bsky.social · 14/10/2026« Some of my ancestors voted for the Nazi party. Because they are racist? No because they were desperate. Therefore, Nazism is racism is an insult to Germans. » Do you listen to yourself ??? 010
Zoe James @zolou.bsky.social · 14/10/2026I guess the motion is born out of a similar desperation. It is at odds on many levels with my G party's core values though, which include freedom from discrimination, local decision making,and looking for nonviolent solutions. Like others, I'm deeply saddened by it. I hope it will not stand. 110
Môr Leidr @bartiddu.bsky.social · 15/10/2026It’s always struck me the remaining Roma, Sinti, & Romany (who, although killed in lower absolute numbers than were Jews, were wiped out by the Nazis in much of Central Europe) could have made a similar claim to the annexation of half of the Punjab But no one would have honoured that. 000
Petra Seitz @pooskipie.bsky.social · 14/10/2026This summary leaves something very big out of the historical picture: for many of our ancestors and relatives the preferred place of refuge pre, during, and post WW2 was the U.S. - a location where they were largely denied entry. 260
piskyinpresbyland.bsky.social @piskyinpresbyland.bsky.social · 14/10/2026I have all the respect in the world for you, and I don't doubt that you're correct that your relatives' Zionism was not motivated by racism, but would it not be fair to say that Zionism has within it a built in disregard for the Palestinian population that closely resembles what we might now call 130
Julia @toddlenrant.bsky.social · 14/10/2026They needed asylum an there were no other options without antisemitism? 100
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Now of course there's a problem here, a very big one: a dedicated homeland and self-determination for the Jewish people meant a loss of homeland and of self-determination for the Palestinians. That was the unacknowledged truth, from Balfour onwards, and no serious attempt was made to resolve it. 1834223
Old man yells at clouds @grovester.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Minor correction - and this is maybe a wording thing - the scale of the Holocaust wasn’t truly understood until 1945 (and even then many didn’t quite believe it). However you’re absolutely right that the virulent anti-semitism of the Nazis plus other anti-Semitic governments drove Zionism in 30’s 020
Nunya Businessman @nunyabusinessman.bsky.social · 14/10/2026and did they stay and colonize Palestinian land after the danger had passed? Those that did felt they were entitled to Palestinian land because they, on some level, had rationalized that the people there deserve it less 000
