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What is the reason for a schizophrenic Western attitude toward, say, Nazism versus Zionism? Without meaning to ignore the differences between these ideological movements, why is it that their similarities are ignored? Nazism is mostly condemned, but Zionism is embraced by many Westerners despite its inherent colonialist and racist leanings. I think this may be caused by inherent racism in the West.
In (ugly) truth, genocide, as practiced by Nazism was nothing new to the West other than in its method. Slavery, colonialism, ethnic cleansing and mass murder were quite common in how the British, French, Spanish and some other Europeans treated the native populations of non-European areas that they colonised. And they did this through direct dehumanisation and commodification of their victims, who were seen as inferior, dispensable races. Germany had little part in this up till the 1930s when they launched mass slaughter of a minority 'race' - as they described it - within their own region. But, for the first time, a white minority 'race' was the victim.
Nazism brought the true ugliness of racism and genocide home to white people on their own turf. Indignation and sympathy for Nazism's European victims was mixed with abhorrence for racism precisely by the biggest perpetrators of racism, who were genuinely and collectively guilty of anti-Semitism too for the longest time.
Westerners latched onto Zionism as salvation not just for their own Jewish victims, but also for the collective conscience of Western Christians fully aware of their own guilt. Zionism became the vehicle for collective salvation, and its inherent racism and colonialism were ironically missed or deliberately and conveniently ignored.
The white Jewish victims of Nazism could not be imagined as perpetrators of a racist ideology. Palestinians and Arabs thus became a barrier to the West's salvation from racism, and were branded as Nazi collaborators. Thus, the West once again proved that racism was embedded deep in its psyche even when it was looking for salvation from racism and genocide.
The Zionists' shockingly brutal treatment of non-Jewish Palestinians and other Arabs in the name of alleviating Jewish suffering at the hands of racism and fascism in Europe presented a major dilemma and caused serious inter-faith dislocations across the Middle East. A version of India's partition repeated itself, and many Jewish communities across the M. E. migrated to Israel over the following decades, while millions of Palestinians were driven from their land and roots when the new European colony was established in Palestine.
While many people outside the West are dumbfounded that Israel can be such a beacon for racism and war, the flaw in their expectations is simple: the white Jewish victims of racism in Europe were Europeans, with racism and colonialism embedded in their culture. To the Zionists among the Jews and Christians, anti-white and anti-Jewish racism were abhorrent. Racism toward others was quite justified or even necessary.
It is of little surprise then, that Israel can imprison 1.5 million Palestinians in a tiny area, cut off their food, fuel and water for 18 months, close all Gazan borders with help of other collaborators, dish out collective punishment to so many for so long with impunity, and then bomb the living daylight out of entrapped civilians indiscriminately and unashamedly, right in front of the incredulous and horrified eyes of the world, and with full support of Western 'democracies' and their 'free' media and their 'multilateral' 'human rights' organisations.
Peace!
