The New Zionist Movement

Who We Are

The New Zionist Movement espouses a democratic, pluralistic State of Israel co-existing alongside an independent State of Palestine. We aim to usher Zionism into an urgently needed new era rooted in the core Jewish values of Truth, Compassion, and Justice. We propose a "Zionist Apology for the Nakba" to our Palestinian neighbors as a fundamental step toward reconciliation and peace.

Acknowledging Historical Injustice

The birth of nations throughout history has come at a severe cost to indigenous populations, marked by dispossession, slavery, exile, and genocide. The establishment of Israel, like that of many modern countries, regrettably instigated such an injustice: the Nakba, or Catastrophe. This event encompassed the expulsion from their homes of approximately 700,000 Palestinian Arabs – the vast majority of whom were not involved in any acts of violence.

Addressing Accusations of Illegitimacy

Israel has repeatedly been unfairly singled out as an illegitimate colonial state, undeserving of existence - a charge rarely leveled against other nations created amid violent origins. Moreover, whereas European Christians and Moslem Arabs had no historical links to the lands they occupied and inhabited, the Jewish people possess a profound, millennia-old connection to the land that was re-settled. To dismiss the Jewish homeland of Israel as a colonial construct is a hypocritical condemnation that ignores historical realities and falsely perpetuates a harmful double standard.

The Power of Apology

What truly sets Israel apart from other modern nations is the absence of a formal apology to the indigenous Palestinian population that was displaced as a result of Israel’s establishment in 1948. While many countries including the United States, Argentina, Australia, and others have apologized for historical wrongs against their indigenous inhabitants, Zionism has yet to offer an apology for the Nakba.

Our apology does not profess sole responsibility for the violence and suffering of the 1948 war and the ongoing conflict. Nor does it absolve the Arab leaders of their culpability in our shared dispute – including the reprehensible expulsion of 800,000 law-abiding Jewish citizens.

Towards Reconciliation and Healing

We believe that the "Zionist Apology" will break the enduring cycle of hatred and suspicion that hinders reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Should our Palestinian neighbors accept this apology, it will represent a crucial stride toward compromise and a just peace agreement.

Whether it is accepted or rebuffed by our Palestinian neighbors, the "Zionist Apology" will initiate a vital healing process, restoring integrity to Zionism, to Israel, and to the Jewish conscience. It affirms that true strength lies not in denial, but in dignified acknowledgment of difficult truths.

The New Zionist Movement asserts that Zionism and the Jewish people possess the moral and cultural fortitude to confront historical realities with honesty, to extend an apology with integrity, and to emerge not diminished, but renewed.