In a world where Zionism is widely portrayed as the shield and savior of Jews worldwide, Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro presents a deeply controversial and sobering argument: not only does Zionism fail to protect Jews from anti-Semitism—it has historically exacerbated it.
As an Orthodox rabbi, speaker, and author of The Empty Wagon: Zionism’s Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity Theft, Rabbi Shapiro has devoted years to explaining how Zionism, as a political ideology, is a distortion of Judaism and a danger to Jews. One of his most startling assertions is that Zionism doesn’t merely fail to stop anti-Semitism, but actually promotes and provokes it.
To understand this perspective, one must first unpack the foundational differences between Judaism and Zionism, and then examine the history Rabbi Shapiro draws upon to support his argument.
Judaism vs. Zionism: A Critical Distinction
Central to Rabbi Shapiro’s worldview is the belief that Judaism is a religion, while Zionism is a political movement that seeks to transform Jews into a secular nation-state. This, he says, represents a profound shift in Jewish identity—from a covenantal relationship with God to an ethnonationalist agenda.
Zionist thinkers like Theodor Herzl and Max Nordau envisioned the Jewish people as a normal nation like any other, and believed a state was the solution to the "Jewish problem"—the centuries-old reality of Jewish persecution. But Rabbi Shapiro argues that this diagnosis was flawed, and the prescription worse. The idea that a secular Jewish state could eliminate anti-Semitism, he contends, was always a fantasy—and history has proven it.
Zionism's Founders Embraced Anti-Semitic Tropes
Rabbi Shapiro points out that early Zionists often accepted, and even internalized, anti-Semitic stereotypes in order to argue that Jews did not belong in Europe and needed their own homeland. Herzl, the father of political Zionism, believed anti-Semitism was a natural and inevitable reaction to the Jewish presence in gentile societies. In his 1896 work Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State), Herzl wrote:
"The anti-Semites will become our most dependable friends, the anti-Semitic countries our allies."
Herzl envisioned a scenario where Zionists and anti-Semites would collaborate: the latter would help expel Jews, and the former would build a state for them.
Rabbi Shapiro emphasizes that this willingness to accept and work with anti-Semites was not fringe—it was foundational. Zionist leaders did not try to combat anti-Semitism; they tried to exploit it for political gain.
Collaboration with Anti-Semites in Practice
Rabbi Shapiro also highlights historical examples of Zionist cooperation with anti-Semitic regimes:
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In Nazi Germany, the Zionist Federation of Germany sent a memorandum to Hitler in 1933 expressing support for his efforts to "revive German national life" and offered Zionism as a solution to the Jewish question. The infamous Haavara Agreement, a pact between the Nazi regime and German Zionists, facilitated the emigration of some German Jews to Palestine in exchange for economic benefits to Germany—while other Jewish organizations were calling for boycotts.
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In Poland, pre-WWII Zionist leaders discouraged Jewish integration and opposed assimilationist efforts, instead promoting emigration to Palestine. This alienated non-Zionist Jews and created internal divisions, weakening Jewish communities against growing hostility.
Rabbi Shapiro argues that such actions did not shield Jews from persecution, but rather amplified their separateness and made them targets.
Modern Zionism and Global Anti-Semitism
In the post-Holocaust era, Zionism positioned itself as the global protector of Jews, with the State of Israel at its center. Yet, Rabbi Shapiro maintains that this strategy has failed—modern anti-Semitism has not disappeared; it has mutated.
Today, Jews around the world are increasingly blamed for the actions of the Israeli government. From college campuses in North America to protests in Europe, anti-Israel sentiment frequently spills over into hostility against Jews—regardless of whether they support Zionism.
Rabbi Shapiro notes that conflating Judaism with the Israeli state has made diaspora Jews vulnerable. Zionists themselves promoted this conflation by claiming Israel represents all Jews. Israeli Prime Ministers from Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu have declared Israel the "state of the Jewish people," not just of its citizens. This rhetoric, Rabbi Shapiro argues, has global consequences.
“When Israel bombs Gaza, Jews in Paris or New York get attacked—not because of their religion, but because Zionism claimed to speak for them,” he says.
In effect, Zionism has exported conflict, placing a political target on the backs of Jews worldwide.
Religious Jews Have Historically Opposed Zionism
Another core point in Rabbi Shapiro's thesis is that Zionism is not Judaism, and the vast majority of Orthodox rabbis in pre-state Europe opposed the Zionist movement. Groups like Agudath Israel, the Eidah Chareidis in Jerusalem, and the followers of the Satmar Rebbe warned that Zionism would bring spiritual assimilation and material danger.
These rabbis argued that Jews are in exile by Divine decree, and attempting to end that exile through political means was both a violation of Torah principles and a provocation to the nations of the world.
Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, in his sefer Vayoel Moshe, went so far as to say that Zionism was one of the greatest threats to Jewish survival—not because it failed, but because it succeeded in convincing the world that a secular state could speak for a religious people.
Weaponizing Anti-Semitism for Political Ends
Rabbi Shapiro further argues that Zionist leaders have instrumentalized anti-Semitism to justify their policies. By presenting Israel as a haven from persecution, any critique of Zionism can be deflected as “anti-Semitism.” In doing so, they not only silence legitimate criticism, but also blur the line between hatred of Jews and opposition to a political ideology.
This manipulation, he warns, is deeply dangerous, because it delegitimizes real concerns about Israel’s actions and devalues actual instances of anti-Jewish hatred. Worse, it erodes global sympathy for Jews by making anti-Semitism seem like a political weapon instead of a moral outrage.
Conclusion: A Self-Defeating Strategy
Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro’s position may be uncomfortable for many, but it raises urgent questions. If Zionism was supposed to protect Jews, why has anti-Semitism persisted and, in many cases, worsened? If Israel speaks for all Jews, why are Jews everywhere being blamed for its actions?
Far from being a cure for anti-Semitism, Rabbi Shapiro argues, Zionism has provoked it, justified it, and even partnered with it. Instead of delivering safety, it has created a political identity that invites backlash.
Ultimately, Rabbi Shapiro calls for a return to Judaism as a spiritual mission, not a political agenda. The Jewish people, he insists, must be defined by their covenant with God—not by a flag, a state, or a military. Only by reclaiming this authentic identity can Jews find true safety, dignity, and peace.
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