On why and when Hitler was admired within the Zionist right

The Zionist Revisionist movement, known for its advocacy of forceful action to achieve its goals (i.e., colonizing Palestine at any cost preferably with Britain as an ally), has, at times, been susceptible to the perceived 'strength and decisiveness' of the Nazi regime. The Nazis’ willingness to use force to achieve their objectives resonated with some. But to what extent?

Historian Amir Goldstein explores the significant (though ultimately contained,) attraction of a "maximalist faction" within the Revisionist movement to fascism and, to a degree, Nazism, which was largely spearheaded by the influential figure of Abba Ahimeir.

Emerging in the late 1920s, this faction grew out of a core group of individuals who had previously been involved in the labor movement and became disillusioned with its perceived shortcomings. Unlike the more "moderate" Revisionists, they rejected the idea of the movement as merely an opposition party to mainstream political leadership within the Zionist movement, and strongly supported Vladimir Jabotinsky’s drive to separate from the Zionist organization. However, they sharply diverged from Jabotinsky’s vision in crucial ways

Central to this faction was Abba Ahimeir, who expressed deep dissatisfaction with democracy, viewing it as a "parliamentary patter," "spoiled liberalism," and "coddling" – terms he used to dismiss what he saw as the ineffectiveness of democratic principles. He actively sought a more forceful and centralized model of leadership, drawn to the perceived power and effectiveness of fascism. The rise of fascism in Europe had a profound appeal to Ahimeir and his circle. They admired how fascist movements could generate momentum, mobilize mass support, seize political institutions, and establish authoritarian regimes that effectively dismantled opposing political forces.

Ahimeir became a key advocate for this shift within the Revisionist movement. He openly embraced a "national dictatorship" as a path to achieving a Jewish state and frequently invoked the leadership styles of figures like Mussolini as examples to emulate. He even referred to Jabotinsky as "the Duce" and actively sought to build paramilitary forces within the movement, modeled on fascist organizations. This involved encouraging a culture of forceful action and openly rejecting the emphasis on democratic values championed by Jabotinsky.

While the maximalist faction, with Ahimeir at its core, briefly gained influence, Jabotinsky’s strong opposition ultimately prevented the movement from fully embracing fascist ideals. The assassination of Chaim Arlozorov further complicated the situation, with rumors and accusations linking Revisionist extremists to the act, damaging the movement's reputation.

[...] At this stage, the Nazi anti-semitism was not perceived by the radical right circles as sufficient reason to condemn Nazism as a phenomenon in its entirety. In the movement’s newspaper, Hazit HaAm, (חזית העם) the writings of maximalist lawyer Zvi Eliyahu Cohen appeared, among others: ‘Had Hitler not been anti-Semitic, we would not have opposed his ideology. Hitler saved Germany.’ In another article, just weeks after Hitler’s rise to power, it was written there: ‘The socialists and democrats of all stripes believe that the Hitler movement is merely a shell. And we believe there is both a shell and a core. The anti-Semitic shell must be discarded, but not the anti-Marxist core within.’"

Although the flirtation with fascism remained a contained phenomenon, the story of Abba Ahimeir and his circle reveals an undercurrent within early Zionist thought, more relevant than ever today.

Hebrew haaretz.co.il/magazine/the-edg… or archive.is/jrnQy

Amir Goldstein is a historian from Tel Hai College (an institution under development). The article is based, among other things, on the research of pioneers in the study of Zionist revisionism: Joseph Heller, Yitzhak Weitz, Aryeh Naor, Eran Kaplan, Jacob Shavit, and Colin Schindler.

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