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Zionism is an extension of Western imperialism in the Holy Land: Historian

Prominent Palestinian American historian Ussama Makdisi underscores the paradox of European antisemitism contributing to sympathy for Zionism and explores how the Jewish Question influenced Western backing for the movement, citing the example of British Secretary Edwin Montagu's opposition to the Balfour Declaration.

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Shedding light on the ties between Zionism and European colonialism further, Makdisi noted that "Zionists themselves recognized it as a colonial project and they sought the support of the greatest imperial power of the time, the British Empire, to establish this colonial project." Commenting on the Western support for Zionism and ongoing Western support for Israel, he drew attention to the role of antisemitism in Europe.