The book’s cover

By Hadi Yahmid, IOL Correspondent

PARIS, May 2 (IslamOnline.net) – The vitriolic attack on the book "In the Name of Torah…The History of Jews Rejecting Zionism" was rather expected, given it casts doubts on the legitimacy of the state of Israel based on historical facts, the author told IslamOnline.net Saturday, May 1.

"I am not surprised [at this criticism]," said Jewish historian Yakov M. Rabkin, recognizing that his book is the first written in French to dig in this taboo issue.

"The book exposes the root cause of why Jews had rejected Zionism and questions the legitimacy of the state Israel."

"The Jewish people are not concerned about the existence of this state and can survive without it. But the Jewish people will remain as long as Judaism exists," he said.

Anti-Semitism

The Jewish writer believes that his book will help curb anti-Semitism by drawing a clear line between Zionism and Judaism.

"The book traces back the Jewish rejection of Zionism by highlighting the viewpoints of rabbis and abiding Jews, who distanced themselves from Zionism since the beginning of the 19^th century," said Rabkin.

"Those Jews can by no means be accused of being anti-Semitic."

The historian said his work also differentiates between Zionists, whether being Jews or Christians, on the one hand, and anti-Zionism from Jews and Christians, on the other.

"It is incorrect and imprecise, for instance, to refer to Israel as the Jewish state."

But he urged Arab and Muslim media to put an end to "anti-Semitic propaganda they often broadcast and the confusion between Zionists and Jews". 

He further said that his book was a "historical essay" and not a "piece of propaganda". 

Zionism is defined by American Merriam Webster dictionary as "an international movement for the establishment of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine and later for the support of modern Israel."

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss had told IOL last August that there can be no true peace "as long as Zionism and the state of Israel exist".

He said there is a big difference between Judaism and Zionism, regretting that "Jews have been misled by the tremendous power of the propaganda machine of Zionism".

The U.N. General Assembly said in a series of resolutions issued from 1975 to 1991 that Zionism and racism were two faces of the same coin.