In a forceful statement that has sparked conversation across Jewish and pro-Israel circles, tech influencer Hillel Fuld insists that Zionism is not merely a political movement but an intrinsic, inseparable component of Judaism itself. Responding to claims that Judaism and Zionism are distinct, Fuld writes: “Spoiler: They are not. Zionism, aka our longing to come home to our homeland, Zion aka Jerusalem, is as intrinsic to Judaism as it gets.”
Fuld points to the centrality of Jerusalem and Zion in Jewish liturgy and daily prayers, noting that for thousands of years, Jews have recited lines such as “ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב”-“And to Jerusalem your city you will return with mercy.” This longing for return, he argues, is not a modern invention but a core part of Jewish religious consciousness, woven into the Amidah and other prayers recited facing Jerusalem. The hope to return to Zion has shaped Jewish identity throughout centuries of exile, with Jews everywhere orienting their prayers and dreams toward the land of Israel.
“Jews were Zionists,” Fuld asserts, countering the notion that Zionism is a recent or secular development. He likens separating Zionism from Judaism to “separating church from Christianity and Muhammad from Islam,” an impossible task, given the deep historical and spiritual roots of the connection. While acknowledging that there have always been dissenting voices, including some ultra-Orthodox groups and modern critics, Fuld maintains that these exceptions do not reflect the essence of Jewish tradition.
Fuld’s post also addresses those who identify as Jewish but not Zionist, including groups like Neturei Karta and certain liberal anti-Zionist Jews, arguing that such positions are a “perversion of what Judaism really is.” He provocatively suggests that anti-Zionism is indistinguishable from antisemitism, since “our enemies know that Zionism and Judaism can’t really be separated. If you’re a Jew, you are a Zionist, and that’s why they think you deserve to die, the same way I, a proud Zionist, do.”
He concludes: “To summarize, Zionism and Judaism are not two separate things. Zionism, along with other pillars, is a fundamental, inseparable part of Judaism. If you follow Judaism, you are a Zionist. It’s fairly simple. Any other claim about this is a perversion of what Judaism really is.”
Fuld’s perspective is rooted in both ancient tradition and modern experience. As scholars and historians note, the yearning for Zion has been at the heart of Jewish prayers, rituals, and communal life for millennia, long before the rise of modern political Zionism. The debate over the relationship between Zionism and Judaism remains contentious, but for Fuld and many others, the two are fundamentally intertwined, and denying that connection is to deny the core of Jewish identity.