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“Zionism Is The Reason I Exist”

Ysabella Hazan, founder of grassroots movement Humans4Humanity (H4H), decries the misrepresentation of Zionism by progressive activists.

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Between 1948 - 1956, over 100,000 Jews left Morocco for the Jewish State. Today about 2000 remain, most living in Casablanca.

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My grandparents fled Morocco, not by choice, but for survival. Living as a Jew in the Middle East and North Africa was not an option. Today, the very movement that saved my family, and the lives of Jews across the world, is systematically misrepresented.

Why is Zionism an integral part of Jewish identity widely mischaracterized?

Zionism is the belief movement or ideology that the Jewish people have a right to self determination in the Jewish historical, ancestral and indigenous homeland. Zionism has a clear-cut definition, yet is continuously being redefined.  

The harmful consequence of this redefinition is to politicize Jewish identity. The aforementioned definition of Zionism is how Zionists identify regardless of the adamant efforts of others, oftentimes progressives, to demonize this term.

Zionism is what unites Jews from all walks of life and of every denomination, because being a Jew means that one is a part of an ethnoreligious group with  Israel at the heart of our traditions and culture.  

The Jewish story is not being told by the Jews, but rather by those who have hijacked and misappropriated the term Zionism.

This injustice must be corrected, as Jewish voices are drowning voices in the background. This anomaly occurs predominantly by extension of the antisemitism, poorly veiled, as progressive activism. An example of this phenomenon can be seen across Jewish students’ experiences on North American college campuses or when the D.C. Dyke March banned Jewish symbols.

Over 98 percent of Jews identify as Zionist. Yet, the voices of Jews who are disenfranchised from their identity and the fringe minority of radical Orthodox Jews voices are mainstreamed. Token Jewish voices are made to seem like their story is the main narrative by those with political agendas. Jewish identity is politicized when Zionism is redefined and fringe movements are over represented.

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An important distinction to be made is that Jewish identity/Zionism should not be inherently linked to Palestinian suffering, but rather indigenous liberation and Jewish autonomy. The 1929 Hebron massacre and 1938 Tiberias massacre are among numerous instances of violence committed by Arabs in the British Mandate of Palestine towards the Jewish population.  

Yet, Palestinian identity is not intrinsically linked to injustices that occurred to the Jews or mischaracterized by the waves of intifadas and violence- as it shouldn’t 

As a Mizrahi Jew whose family fled persecution in Morocco, I nevertheless still celebrate elements of my North African roots. So why is Zionism – the Jewish  liberation movement – wrongfully portrayed?  

It is time for progressive activists and others to recognize that Zionism has a definition and that definition is how Zionists identify as.

As founder of Humans For Humanity, Ysabella Hazan strives to promote kindness and volunteering as a path to Tikkun Olam

The Jewish people have successfully decolonized their homeland and revived their ancient civilization. Rather, it is now time for Jews and allies to decolonize our minds. That begins by taking back our story and not having our narrative told by anyone other than us. Especially during a time where antisemitic movements such as BDS and others are dedicated to eradicating the Jewish state and speak over Jewish voices.  

Given the social climate and the exclusion of Jews from progressive spaces, I created a grassroots movement called Humans4Humanity (H4H). It is a youth-led movement based on Tikkun Olam, we bring about social justice through activism and volunteering in an apolitical manner.

The problem is multifaceted but the solution is simple. The solution begins with hearing Jewish voices.  

The solution to antisemitism is to be even prouder in our collective identity and not to fall prey to the discriminatory litmus tests that Jews are faced with upon involvement in progressive spaces. Jews should not be faced with a choice  between supporting our survival as a civilization by supporting Israel, or  rejecting an integral part of our identity.

Ysabella Hazan is a Montreal native entering her second year of Law School at the University of Ottawa. President and founder of Humans4Humanity, she was previously active with Hillel and Hasbara and interned in public affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in Montreal.

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Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

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