I was a Zionist. As long as Zionism was a living option I was part of it. Then it simply expired and I moved on. Zionism was a scaffolding; It was erected by its founding fathers from Hertzel to Ben Gurion, in order to refurbish the Jewish existential structure.
I see Zionism as a heroic effort to renew the stagnated exilic structure by introducing the notion of sovereignty into it. It was a long rebuilding process which began in the 19th century and ended only when the walls came down in Berlin, by the end of the 20th century. The 19th and 20th century were the centuries of persecution and rescue. The 21st one, which began be the end of the Soviet era is a different one entirely, at least for the Jewish people.
Nowadays the overwhelming majority of Jews are living under democratic regimes, far from any immediate threat on their lives. Unlike 150 years ago, 78% of us are living in either Israel or in America, or in both. The early Zionist goal of massive societal restructure has succeeded; not only do we have a solid, functioning and efficient independent state, but exile itself was impressively transformed into the safe, western, democratic Diaspora.
It is time to remove the Zionist scaffolding and live normal life, like normal people. I was a Zionist. Now that the mission is accomplished I simply and naturally became a post-Zionist.
What name do I carry? My surname is human, my middle name is Jewish and my private, given, name is Israeli. I am a Human, Jewish Israeli. Why do we need a fourth definition, the Zionist one? Where does it fit in? Unless we actually mean to use Zionism as a discriminatory tool helping us to separate, segregate, dissociate and dispossess Israeli minorities and prioritize the master “Zionist” Jewish majority.
If Zionism is to be used this way—The Liberman, Eli Yishai's way—I am not only a post-Zionist but an anti-Zionist as well. I am anti-clericalism, anti-racism, and above all, I oppose the contemporary right wing religious, nationalistic expression, which distortedly abuses Zionism the way it was originally dreamt about and meant to be.
