الصهيونية بوصفها استعمارًا مُقدَّسًا: تفكيك الأساطير الدينية المؤسسة للمشروع الصهيوني في فلسطين

Zionism as Sacralized Colonialism: Deconstructing the Foundational Religious Myths of the Zionist Project in Palestine

Abstract

This paper examines the religious myths that functioned as an ideological foundation for the Zionist project in Palestine, arguing that it extended beyond a purely political or colonial enterprise. Rather, the project drew deeply on biblical narratives and theological constructs that reimagined Palestine as the “Promised Land” and the “Holy Land.” The study analyzes key myths, including the “Divine Promise of the Land,” the concept of the “Chosen People,” and the notion of the “Return to Zion,” demonstrating how these ideas were mobilized to construct a religiously grounded political vision. Furthermore, the paper explores how these narratives were reinforced within Protestant Christian thought, particularly through the development of Christian Zionism, which provided additional theological and ideological support. The study concludes that these religious myths were not merely abstract theological beliefs, but were actively instrumentalized as political tools that contributed to legitimizing and facilitating the establishment of Israel, especially with the backing of Western powers.