Page 21 - Issue 20

unity, common historical memories, attachment to
a land and a language, a set of shared traditions
and a unifying religion. The fact that at some
points in history they have not been physically
together so that all the world can see their
nationalism on display is an irrelevance. It appears
too that the Jews as a nation have the same urge
to revitalise their roots as do other nations. Not for
nothing did Rhodesia rename itself Zimbabwe, the
Germans pay astronomical sums for an ancient
manuscript or Greece demand the return of the
Elgin marbles. This is something which most
people see as 'natural' and in many cases as
'progressive': for the Jews the significance is as
great as for any other people.

As the world shifts towards regional federations so
the Jewish state will join in. I do not believe that
statehood is the end in itself. On the contrary,
statehood is creating for the Jews costs which are
extremely high. Yet the costs of not gaining
statehood would be even higher. What the Jews
want is the opportunity to express freely their
national identity. The only way open to them now
is through statehood. As times change so will the
means change, but until then the Jews want to
have the same opportunities as other nations.

The Socialist Argument

At the same time I believe that the costs need not
be as high as they are, and that by enhancing the
socialist expression of Zionism the Jews may not
only reduce these costs but can also manifest an