In 1896, the Viennese-born journalist Theodor Herzl published an influential political treatise entitled Der Judenstaat, which argued that the only way to defend Jews from anti-Semitism would be the establishment of an independent Jewish state. Herzl then convened the first Zionist Congress in Switzerland, in 1897, at which the then Ottoman-controlled Palestine was chosen as the most desirable location for a Jewish state in preference to the other proposals at the time of British East Africa, South America or the U.S. although Palestine boasted a strongly Muslim majority demographic.

Notwithstanding this fact, On 15th May 1948 David Ben Gurion declared the establishment of the state of Israel in the land of Palestine in accordance with a (non-binding) resolution of the then United Nations – UNGA Resolution 181 of 29 November 1947. This was supported by US President Truman who had, against his instincts, been pressured by his former business partner, one Eddie Jacobson, (under the direction of international Masonic lobby group, Bnai Brith), to change his opposition to a Jewish state in Arab Palestine. As a direct result, the vote was carried by just 33 to 13 with 10 abstentions that included Britain. (NB The United Nations today has 193 member states representing ALL the nations of the world.)

Fast-forward 66 years and the rationale for such a state i.e to protect Jewish communities worldwide, has demonstrably failed. The world is now experiencing a level of anti-Zionism coupled with anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe, unknown since the 1930s. There is a consensus that this is a direct consequence of the current Israeli government agenda that has authorised the illegal settlement of 500,000 of its citizens in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in defiance of the condemnation of the United Nations and the European Union. Furthermore, its attempt at regime change in Gaza by a blockade of essential materials and medicines against 1.8 million, now in its 7th year, is considered both illegitimate and an incitement to war.  This week, at the UN General Assembly, President Abbas has accused Israel of carrying out a ‘war of genocide’ in Gaza.

This agenda of the world’s only undeclared nuclear-weapons state has apparently incensed public feeling in many countries to the extent that anti-Semitism, the eradication of which was the goal of the Political Zionist movement in 1948, has now increased exponentially as a reflective opposition to the Israeli persecution of the indigenous Palestinian Arab.

Prior to the establishment of the state of Israeli, 2/3 of the population of Palestine was Arab with a 1/3 Jewish minority. There are now 5 million Arabs concentrated in the Occupied Territories and Gaza all of whom are subject to increased restriction and/or harassment from the current Likud government of Israel whose aim, according to its Charter, is to expel all Arabs from their former lands.