Jewish and Zionist. What’s the Difference?

Zionists seem to really hate it when Jews speak out against the genocide in Gaza. When Miriam Margolyes, a proud Jewish Australian - calls for an end to Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing, she’s attacked. And when Orthodox Jews in New York protest shoulder to shoulder with Palestinians, they’re dismissed as “self-hating.” And when Holocaust survivors say “never again means never again for anyone,” they're vilified.

Why? Because nothing threatens Zionist ideology more than the simple truth: Zionism is not Judaism and not all Jews are Zionists.

So let’s break it down.

Zionism ≠ Judaism

Judaism is a 4,000-year-old spiritual, cultural, and religious tradition. It is a faith. A diasporic identity. A diverse lineage of resilience, struggle, and survival. It includes atheists, liberals, conservatives, artists, poets, and radicals. One of the most fundamental Jewish values is tikkun olam, the moral obligation to "repair the world". It's a call to pursue justice, protect the vulnerable, and uphold the dignity of every human life.

Zionism is a 20th-century political ideology. It emerged in Europe in response to antisemitism and persecution, advocating for the establishment of a Jewish state. But like many nationalist projects, it came at the expense of others, in this case, the Indigenous Palestinian people.

Today, Zionism is used to justify the violent occupation of Palestine, destruction of Gaza, and the apartheid system inside Israel. It is no longer just a theory about self-determination. It’s a mechanism of colonialism, racism, and genocide.

The latest report from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) lays bare the horror: US-funded “aid” sites in Gaza are being used by Israeli forces to shoot, crush, and gas Palestinians. Over 1,300 people trying to collect food have been wounded. At least 71 children have been shot. MSF calls it what it is: “orchestrated killing.” It’s genocide. And when Jews speak out against it, as many bravely do, they're slandered and silenced. Because Zionism depends on equating its actions with the entire Jewish people.

Israel doesn't speak for all Jews. Judaism is not represented by Benjamin Netanyahu. And being Jewish does not mean supporting occupation, apartheid, or genocide. In fact, many Jewish people, including in Israel, believe their faith and identity calls on them to oppose such horrors. They say: “We remember what genocide looks like. And we will not be silent.”

So what’s the difference?

So the difference is this: Judaism is a faith, a people, and a moral tradition. Zionism is a political project built on dispossession and violence.

Don’t confuse the two. That confusion is being weaponised to excuse war crimes, and to silence the very people trying to stop them.