Calling Zionism Colonialist is Anti-Indigenous

Jews have lived in the land of Israel for four millennia. Jews and Samaritans are the indigenous peoples of the land. It is true that most Jews have lived in exile for a long time but exile from sacred indigneous lands does not make sacred indigenous lands less important or less indigenous or lessen the connection to the land. In fact, many indigenous peoples around the world consider their lands to be sacred and many long since live in exile from their traditional lands. The Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Judah were exiled from their lands to Babylonia in the 6th century BCE and returned later the same century. They remained indigenous after having been in captivity in Babylonia. The Jews of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were exiled from their lands in the 8th century BCE and most never returned. The Jewish Diaspora of the Southern Jurisdiction of Judah has increasingly returned to modern Israel and the next chapter in history of the State of Israel is the return of the Jewish Diaspora of the Northern Jurisdiction of Israel. The indigenous Jewish nation is uniting as the ancient dream of the return of the descendants of the deported ten tribes (Alawites, Alevis, Alians, Bektashis, Druze, Yarsanis and Yezidis) will be realized. Referring to indigenous Israel and Zionism – an indigenous movement – as “colonialist” is fundamentally anti-indigenous and therefore bigoted.