MARXISM AND ZIONISM: Entangled Roads

In contrast to the common view of Marxism and Zionism as being mutually exclusive, this chapter maintains that they intertwined in a diverse fashion. Based on differentiation between Marxist theory and Marxism as a mass ideology and on the acknowledgement of multiple versions of each, four different types of historical relations are discussed: (1) The early intersections of Marxism and Jewish nationalism (1844–1904) are distinguished through common theoretical roots; (2) Pre–World War II orthodox Marxism (1889–1940) is characterized by ideological negation of Zionism; (3) The simultaneous emergence of Zionist-Marxism (1905–1956) demonstrates the possibility of merging the two; (4) The attempts to reconcile Marxism and Zionism, made by orthodox Marxists during the Holocaust, were overpowered by a Soviet aggressive anti-Zionist ideology (1939–1953). On the one hand, Marxist theories provided a fruitful analytical framework for Zionist praxis. On the other hand, Marxism was abused as mass ideology, which, in extremity, converged with anti-Semitism.