21st Century Zionism

Figure 1

This creepy advertisement kept cropping up as I made my way through the news articles served up by Flipboard on my mobile phone. Naturally it caught my attention with its mention of David Ben Gurion and Zionism. I decided to investigate this Negev, the new frontier of 21st century Zionism, and Ben-Gurion University or BGU, the engine that is driving its development.

The Negev is the desert region of southern Israel and the main city is Beersheba where the university is located. Here is the promotional video:

The video makes it clear that the Ben Gurion University is going to be at the centre of technological innovation in Beersheba, in Israel and perhaps the world. The new frontier of 21st Zionism is indeed technology because it is via this that Israel hopes to control the world. However, notice the AMERICAN ASSOCIATES reference at the bottom left of the advertisement (Figure 1). Clicking on the link takes you to this organisation's website: AABGU founded in 1972 as a nonprofit organisation with headquarters in New York City and nine regional offices throughout the United States. To quote from the website:

Our Mission: American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion’s vision, creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University’s expertise locally and around the globe. 

What We Do: AABGU fulfills its mission by raising funds and awareness for the University across the United States, showcasing BGU’s academic excellence and groundbreaking research. 

Activities include educating individuals, foundations and the media about BGU’s research through a series of exciting and informative online communications, our signature magazine Impact, and educational programs and events that feature BGU’s world-renowned faculty.

Hilarious that this organisation should be trying to get money from Americans to support the transfer of technological expertise within the country to a foreign country. Of course, all of the major American technology companies already have a major presence in the country. As an antidote to the earlier video, I suggest you watch Adam Green's Israel's Tech Supremacy Agenda:

Technological supremacy is certainly the focus of 21st century Zionism whereas the 20th century was all about preparing, establishing and expanding the State of Israel.