The word "Zionism" was originally defined as belief in a Jewish homeland. That's it, that's all. But now, it has become the new "woke" - a word rendered meaningless, a Rorshach test. It has been shackled with various definitions, all depending on the political and/or religious persuasions of those uttering the term.
The suggestion that Jews lived peacefully throughout the Middle East and North Africa prior to the founding of modern Israel has a solid foundation. However, there have been intermittent pogroms and expulsions of Jews in the region for centuries prior to 1948. As dhimmis, living as second-class citizens, they would never be completely safe in these societies.
While even some Jews don't believe that Israel should have been re-established, the vast majority support it. Looking at the precarious existence they have endured down through the centuries, nobody should be surprised that they would want their old homeland back. That said, some of the policies and actions of the Israeli government over the past few decades are unacceptable.
