Why I left the cult
JVL Introduction
For some, Zionism is a political ideology, its principles to be judged in the last analysis by their consistency with the known facts about its origins and later development.
When the facts change you would hope for some change in the attitudes of its proponents.
Some indeed do change, coming to be very critical. Others reject it altogether.
But look at what critics are up against, what Avigail Abarbanel and others are taught at school: “We were special, we were better: more moral and ethical, more civilised.”
For many it simply creates an impermeable shield, closed to reason and lived experience, the reality of a cult.
In this open letter to Israeli Jews, 5 years old but as relevant as the day it was written, Abarbanel attempts what she knows will not work, calling on them to leave their closed ghetto mentality behind, to get out of the cult and “join the human race”.
And. knowing they won’t, she supports BDS: “If you don’t stop yourself, someone has to.”
This article was originally published by Mondoweiss on Sat 8 Oct 2016. Read the original here.
Why I left the cult
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This magnificent article by Abigail Abarbanel says it all about Zionists: “Come on, leave the cult and the ghetto mentality behind, join the human race, do the right thing”. But the non-Jews who go along with and appease the Zionist cause are even worse. They cannot claim the pretext of historical trauma, and are variously guilty of not doing their homework, cowardice and taking the path of least resistance.
Absolutely brilliant article
SOLIDARITY FOREVER
Once a voice in the wilderness is heard – it is no longer alone.
This settler mentality is not unique to Zionism. It led to atrocities in north and south America, and Australia, where native populations were almost eliminated and always treated as less deserving, even less human.
Thankyou for this personal, moving , and understandable statement.
I wish that this could be published in every MSM, and school curriculum.
I remember reading the original in Mondoweiss, though can’t quite believe it was 5 years ago. Thank you JVL for reposting. This is such an excellent piece, worthy of very serious attention, and hopefully it has helped others to break free.
What a powerful statement. I was a child member of a cult, the Roman Catholic church. We were indoctrinated in the same ways to linger over past bad treatment by the majority and over look the bad things ‘we’ had done and were still doing. The group was more improtant than the individual and people who left were to be despised. I left and struggled for years with the loss of community and I’m still grieving over that 50 years later. It seems Jews are no different. We are all humans. The abused become abusers.
One thing I learned was that a surprisingly large proportion of Catholics don’t believe the dogma but go along with it for fear of the consequences, enjoying the community and trying not to get too absorbed into the bad stuff. They too are often required to ‘take sides’ on issues in public, and can be excluded if they choose the wrong side. So they avoid controversy by staying silent, being dishonest (‘little white lies’) and protecting the abusers by their silence.
Which is probably the same reason so many Jews disapprove of settler colonial zionism but say nothing.
A thoughtful and reasoned statement. Well done and welcome back to the Human Race. Reading it I felt I was listening to a fellow creature. Good luck in your work.
Amazing insight. It takes a lot of strength to point out the King’s new clothes, and try to make others see.
What an amazing read – not only insightful, but dare I say challenging and even liberating for anyone who, in one way or another, has identified themselves with some group, tribe, class or popular trend (whatever) that sees itself as special, different or superior in a way that is detrimental to others while ignoring or justifying its own anomalies and travesties. However, I’d say that includes a lot more of us than we’d dare admit.