Jew, Israeli, and Zionist: Three Similar Terms but What’s the Difference?

During the ongoing events in Gaza since October 7th, marked by aggression and massacres by the Israeli occupation that has led to over 30,000 martyrs in the Gaza Strip as of this writing, many global protests have emerged condemning the violence against the region.

Amid these protests, a group called “Neturei Karta” appeared. This Haredi Jewish movement, established in 1935, opposes Zionism and advocates for a peaceful dismantling of the Israeli occupation, calling for the land to be returned to Palestinians. With an estimated 5,000 members, they are present in Jerusalem, London, and New York.

This raises the question: What is the difference between the terms Jew, Israeli, and Zionist?

What is Neturei Karta?

Neturei Karta, meaning “Guardians of the City” in Aramaic, is a religious Jewish movement that opposes Zionism. They do not recognize the State of Israel on occupied Palestinian land and believe that a Jewish state cannot be established by usurping another people’s land. Instead, they assert that such a state can only exist by divine decree and after Jews return to adhering to their religious laws, from which they were scattered among nations as a punishment.

Neturei Karta was initially part of the “Agudat Yisrael” party, founded in the early 20th century to counter Zionism. However, following the 1917 Balfour Declaration, where the British government endorsed the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, the party initially supported Jewish migration to Palestine but rejected the creation of a Jewish state.

In 1935, a faction split from “Agudat Yisrael” due to its alignment with Zionism, forming the Neturei Karta movement. The group’s name was first used in 1938. Members sought to maintain their anti-Zionist stance and resisted the assimilation of Zionist ideologies, which they viewed as contrary to Jewish beliefs.

The movement was founded in Jerusalem by Rabbi Amram Blau, following British Mandate approval for their separation from Zionist neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Blau led the group until his death in 1974, emphasizing the rejection of Israel as a Jewish national state and denouncing Zionism as an illegitimate representative of global Jewish interests.

Jews: Between Religion and Occupation

Jews identify themselves as a group of people following the Jewish religion, which is the oldest of the three major monotheistic faiths. According to them, Judaism is the message brought by Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and serves as a way of life for the Jewish people, deriving its core laws and beliefs from the Torah.

According to the Israeli “Jewish Agency,” about 46% of the world’s Jewish population resides in the occupied territories, marking a 0.5% increase compared to 2022 figures. The global Jewish population is estimated at 15.7 million, with approximately 7.2 million living in Israel, 6.3 million in the United States, and 2.2 million in other countries.

Israelis: Past and Present

Historically, the term “Israelites” referred to a group of people descended from Prophet Jacob. However, its meaning has evolved over time. Today, “Israelis” refer to the citizens living in the area controlled by the Israeli occupation on Palestinian land.

Since 1948, many Israeli Jews have migrated to Palestinian territories. By 2019, Israeli statistics recorded over 9 million people in the region, of whom 74% were Jewish, 21% were indigenous Palestinians, and the remaining 5% comprised Christians and other religions.

Jews of European and former Soviet origin, including Ashkenazi Jews, make up around 50% of Israeli Jews. Meanwhile, Jews from Arab and Islamic countries, including Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews, account for most of the remaining Jewish population in the occupied territories. Most Arab citizens of Israel are Muslims, followed by Christians from various denominations and a minority of Druze.

Zionism and the Creation of a Jewish State

Zionism is an ideological, nationalist political movement advocating for the establishment of a national homeland for a religious-social group. Austrian Jew Theodor Herzl is considered the founder of political Zionism. The movement was established in the late 19th century amidst growing anti-Semitism in Europe.

Zionism garnered significant support from Western European governments, especially after agreeing to establish a Jewish homeland on Arab land—historic Palestine. During the first half of the 20th century, the movement actively promoted Jewish migration to Palestine.

Despite their efforts and rising anti-Semitism in Europe during World War II, Arabs still outnumbered Jews in Palestine by the late 1940s. In 1948, David Ben-Gurion, then head of the World Zionist Organization, declared the establishment of the State of Israel on Palestinian land.

Zionists claimed that Israel would serve as a safe national homeland for Jews, encouraging Jews worldwide to migrate there and acquire Israeli citizenship through what they call the “Right of Return,” granting any Jew automatic citizenship upon arrival in the occupied territories.