Why did Netanyahu say colonialism is a crime?

Netanyahu defended Israel and Zionism from the UN podium against the accusation of colonialism. The emptying of the UN General Assembly Hall in protest when this speech began was, of course, very important. But just as important are the words he uttered at the podium to defend Israel and Zionism. Netanyahu defended the ideology of Zionism but also said that colonialism is a crime. This passage in his speech did not resonate in our press. Yet Netanyahu's ideological separation of Zionism and colonialism from each other was not an ordinary matter. Recently, countries like the UK, the US, Germany, and France, since they too are parties to the ideology of Zionism, are trying to fill the agenda with other issues. Like Netanyahu, these countries also veil Zionism as a colonial ideology with Judaism, and immediately resort to police measures by including all criticism directed at Zionism and Israel in the category of antisemitism. This makes Netanyahu's attempt from the UN podium to devalue anti-colonial paradigms with a mocking tone in order to defend Israel and Zionism an important matter.

Netanyahu's defense of Israel and Zionism from the UN podium by associating them with Judaism, and his attempt as always to include opposing ideas in the category of antisemitism, is in fact an indication of how difficult a position he is in. Because Israel was institutionalized as a colonial structure under the UN roof. Since anti-colonial struggles had not yet reached a transformative power in the international arena at that time, countries like the UK and France could say that they were civilizing the world while colonizing it. This was a widespread attitude, and the concept of colonization in the names of Jewish associations that played an active role in moving Jews to Palestine was not found strange at all. The Jewish Colonisation Association, The Jewish Colonial Trust, and The Palestine Jewish Colonization Association are known examples. The Imperial Charter for the Colonization of Palestine, meanwhile, is directly related to Theodor Herzl. The concept of "colonization" in the names we have listed does not only include Jews. Without Christian Zionism, neither the concept of civilizing nor Israel can be understood. Despite these historical facts, Netanyahu's acceptance of colonialism as a crime from the UN podium is in fact a very great problem for Zionism.

I specifically wanted to give the English of these names, each of which points to a separate structure. They will allow us to trace. In this way, the colonial characteristics of Israel and Zionism will become undeniable. There are reasons for us to dwell on the concept of colonization. Because these associations, companies, and documents established for the purpose of colonization point to a broader context. It was the British Empire that colonized the historical lands of Palestine. The Palestine Mandate was a neocolonial system. Britain built Israel as a great colonial project in thirty years.

As is known, the League of Nations played the most important role in preparing a legal ground for the Palestine Mandate. The approval of the Palestine Mandate by the League of Nations in 1922 as a neocolonial system offered an international shield to Jewish settlers. It was Britain and the US that granted immunity to the Zionists and gave the Jews the power they could use. But even they refrained from doing this directly in the name of the US and Britain. Against possible reactions, they put the League of Nations forward. After this, the Zionists used the concept of colony until the 1930s. Britain and the US, in 1947 and 48, again granted an armor of immunity to the new colonial structure through the UN. The most important function of the UN in the international arena was to take Israel's responsibilities off Britain and the US. It is understood that these states gave the UN a colonial function.

So why did Netanyahu have to make a defensive speech from the UN podium claiming that Israel is not a colonial structure? Netanyahu said at the podium: "They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism. So who is making this accusation?" Then he said: "Among them are those in Britain and France." Of course, he made sentences showing that he did not accept this accusation. But it will be a bit difficult to find the answer to the question of why in Netanyahu's sentences. For this, one needs to look elsewhere.

After October 7, 2023, we can say that anti-colonial struggles have seized moral and intellectual superiority in global public opinion. Netanyahu's seeing colonialism as a crime can also be evaluated as an effort to conceal Israel's legitimacy crisis.