Among campus activists, the word “Zionist” has simply come to be an insult, while in the Middle East it serves as a synonym for “Israeli” for those whose antipathy is so great that they refuse to pronounce the hated country’s name. For others still, it is nothing but a codeword for Jew. And for most American Jews, Zionism means support for Israel, and “anti-Zionism” the view that Israel should be dismantled or destroyed, that the country is a unique source of evil in the world.

But when the term first emerged at the end of the 19th century, it referred to a specific ideology, or, more accurately, a set of competing ideologies often engaged in fierce debate, while anti-Zionism included a variety of rival visions for the Jewish future. In a new five-part online course offered by Tikvah, the political scientist and former Knesset member Einat Wilf, together with the filmmaker Zoé Tara Zeigherman, explains the intellectual history of Zionism and of its opposition. You can register for free at the link below.

Israel’s goals of freeing the hostages and defeating Hamas (the latter necessary to prevent further hostage taking) are to some extent contradictory, since Yahya Sinwar, the ruler of the Gaza Strip, will only turn over hostages in exchange for concessions. But Jacob Nagel remains convinced that Jerusalem should continue to pursue both goals:

Only consistent military pressure on Hamas can lead to the hostages’ release, either through negotiation or military operation. There’s little chance of reaching a deal with Hamas using current approaches, including the latest Egyptian proposal. Israeli concessions would only encourage further pressure from Hamas.

There is no incentive for Hamas to agree to a deal, especially since it believes it can achieve its full objectives without one. Unfortunately, many contribute to this belief, mainly from outside of Israel, but also from within.

Recent months saw Israel mistakenly refraining from entering Rafah for several reasons. Initially, the main [reason was to try] to negotiate a deal with Hamas. However, as it became clear that Hamas was uninterested, and its only goal was to return to its situation before October 7—where Hamas and its leadership control Gaza, Israeli forces are out, and there are no changes in the borders—the deal didn’t mature.