Elias Davidsson is a Palestine-born, anti-racist, humanitarian, anti-Zionist Jewish writer whose parents were refugees from Nazi Germany. He is the director of PRICE, Reykjavik, Iceland (see: http://globalresearch.ca/articles/DAV401A.html ).
Elias Davidsson on Zionism, Jewish power and Judaism: “The question whether condemnation of Israeli policies should be framed as condemnation of Zionist or of Jewish wrongdoing has bedevilled a debate within progressive circles. Some people consider that attributing the crimes of the State of Israel to "Jews" is factually inaccurate and counter-productive while others perceive that Israeli policies are founded on Jewish principles and on Jewish solidarity. In trying to untangle this complex question, I suggest that one can discern (within the framework of rejection of Zionism) three distinct perspectives (approaches) to the question Jews or Zionists…
ZIONISM AS A POLITICAL REPRESSIVE MOVEMENT. This approach informs an agenda focussed on dismantling the "Jewish" state in Palestine, because it is illegal, racist, etc. and replacing it by a secular, democratic state. The approach is limited to the political dimensions of Zionism and can, but not necessarily so, be coupled with an anti-imperialist perspective… This first approach is shared by most anti-Zionists who identify as Jews, and wish to maintain the distinction between Jews and Zionists. Implied in this approach is disinterest in Jewish religion or, alternatively, a benign, humanist, interpretation of Jewish religion.”
ZIONISM AS THE REFLECTION OF JEWISH POWER. This approach, often wrongly equated with anti-Semitism, is that Jews (or more accurately prominent/rich Jews and/or Jewish organisations) possess sufficient power to affect the policies of (non-Jewish) governments… It cannot be denied that Jews (defined herein as individuals known for their participation in Jewish community life or identifying positively as Jews), who comprise 0.2 percent of the world's population, possess collectively vastly more financial and political power, than their numbers would suggest.
ZIONISM AS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE JEWISH RELIGION. This approach that seeks to understand both Zionism and Jewish Power as a modern verions, as it were, of Jewish religion, i.e. a secular, worldly, implementation of the more or less hidden Talmudic concepts such as Jewish chosenness and discriminatory attitudes to gentiles… Whether Zionism and Jewish Power in political life can be related to the Talmud is a legitimate subject of inquiry for anyone interested in religion and politics. For the person who contends that one of the main stumbling-blocks to a just peace in Palestine is Jewish religion, it appears logical to focus on the relation of Jewish religion with its secular cousins expressed in political and legal terms. Such inquiry is legitimate and may be beneficial. The late Professor Israel Shahak and other Israeli authors, including former Israel's intelligence chief Yehoshafat Harkabi, contributed valuable insight into this theme.” [1].
[1]. Elias Davidsson, “Jews or Zionists? Three approaches”, Aldeilis.net, 30 June 2005: http://www.aldeilis.net/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=548&Itemid=210 .