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Anti-Zionism as a founding principle: The ideological necessity of enmity in the Iranian revolution
In Brief
- The Pahlavi monarchy was delegitimized internally due to perceived corruption and subservience to foreign, Western interests, creating a vacuum for a new, purist national identity.
- The Islamic Revolution framed itself as a moral crusade against 'insupportable despotism,' requiring a total rupture with the past and the restoration of divine justice.
- Ayatollah Khomeini strategically redefined the Shah's recognition of Israel as a profound religious and national betrayal, characterizing it as a capitulation to 'infidels' and the 'logic of bandits.'
- Opposition to Zionism became an indispensable, non-negotiable pillar that cemented the Islamic Republic's anti-imperialist stance and its claim to moral and political authenticity.
Main authors
The identity of a nation is not a static artifact but a dynamic construction, forged in moments of crisis and revolutionary change. The transformation of Iran from the Pahlavi monarchy to the Islamic Republic in 1979 represents one of the most profound national reinventions of the 20th century. This was not merely a political overthrow but a complete ideological rupture, a process that required not only the dismantling of an old order but the construction of a new, cohesive worldview for the nation [1]. The pre-revolutionary state, while commanding a traditional sense of fealty to the idea of 'Iran,' was also perceived by many as morally compromised and beholden to foreign powers [2, 3].
A successful revolution requires more than the seizure of power; it demands the creation of a new national narrative powerful enough to supplant the old. For the Iranian Revolution, this narrative was built on an ideological foundation of Islamic purity and staunch opposition to a perceived 'despotic regime' . This act of self-definition was inherently oppositional, requiring clear antagonists to solidify its own identity. The revolution's architects sought to purify the nation from internal corruption and external influence, a struggle that necessitated the identification of enemies, both domestic and foreign [4, 5].
In this context, the state of Israel, and the ideology of Zionism underpinning it, emerged as a uniquely potent ideological foe. The Shah's alignment with Israel was recast as a profound betrayal, not just of political interests but of Islam itself [6]. This article will analyze how the creation of an anti-Zionist stance became an ideological necessity for the nascent Islamic Republic. By examining the nature of the old regime's identity, the principles of the Islamic movement, and the revolutionary framing of Zionism, it becomes clear that anti-Zionism was not a peripheral foreign policy choice but a foundational element in the very construction of modern Iranian national identity.
The Shah's Iran: a nation between fealty and foreign influence
Under the Pahlavi dynasty, Iranian national identity was complex, rooted in ancient Persian history while simultaneously navigating the pressures of 20th-century geopolitics. A deep-seated loyalty to the nation, personified by the Shah, existed alongside a sense of obligation among the country's defenders [7]. This traditional framework, however, showed signs of strain. Critiques emerged from within, pointing to a system where personal interest and external appeasement seemed to override the collective good . The perception grew that the nation's leadership was more concerned with accumulating foreign goods and favor than with the welfare of Persia itself .
This dynamic created an ideological vacuum, where the official state narrative of national strength and progress clashed with a lived reality of perceived corruption and subservience. The idea of a ruler's actions being divorced from the people's interests fosters a sense of alienation and dissent . To the burgeoning opposition, the Shah's regime came to represent a force that was destroying its own side rather than confronting a true enemy, weakening the nation from within [8]. This internal decay made the state vulnerable to a movement that could offer a more authentic and morally righteous vision of the nation.
The regime's alignment with Western powers and its recognition of Israel were seen by its opponents not as pragmatic foreign policy but as symptoms of a deeper malaise. From a religious and nationalist perspective, these alliances represented a departure from a divinely ordained path, akin to a nation becoming 'laden with sins' due to its ignorance of justice [9, 10]. The leadership was increasingly framed as an enemy of its own people, one who changes 'truth for error and light for darkness' and strips peace from the nation . This characterization laid the groundwork for a revolutionary movement that would define itself by rejecting everything the Shah's government had come to represent.
The Islamic movement as national rebirth
The Iranian Revolution was framed by its leaders as a necessary and righteous struggle against an 'insupportable despotism' [11]. The movement drew its strength from the 'revolutionary and fertile teachings of Islam,' positioning itself as a vehicle for raising the ideological and revolutionary consciousness of the people in the face of a 'barbaric' and repressive state . This was not simply a political campaign but a moral crusade, with figures like Ayatollah Khomeini mobilizing widespread civil disobedience in major cities, defying the regime's threats and demonstrating its loss of popular legitimacy [12, 13, 14].
The core objective was to establish a new form of government, an Islamic Republic, whose principles would be enshrined in a new constitution [16]. This legal and political restructuring was a manifestation of a deeper ideological goal: to create a state that was authentically Islamic and independent of foreign domination. The revolution's leaders saw themselves as confronting a regime that was not just politically oppressive but spiritually corrupt, an agent of an ungodly world order . The struggle was thus presented as a battle for the very soul of the nation, a fight against an enemy that sought to murder the national soul and enslave its people to wicked works [17].
This revolutionary framework is analogous to other historical struggles against what is perceived as systemic injustice and tyranny [18]. The act of rebellion was justified as a response to a government that trampled on sacred rights and consented to the people's destruction . By framing the conflict in such absolute moral terms, the Islamic movement was able to galvanize a broad coalition. The fight was not for minor reforms but for a complete overthrow, a total rupture with a past that was deemed illegitimate and a profligate surrender of principle [15]. The establishment of the Islamic Republic was therefore envisioned as a form of national salvation, a restoration of divine justice to a land that had gone astray .
Zionism as the ideological antithesis
To consolidate its new identity, the Islamic Republic required an external enemy that embodied the values it rejected. Zionism provided a perfect ideological antithesis. At its core, Zionism was a modern political movement aimed at establishing a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine, an idea formally supported by Western powers like Great Britain [19]. It presented itself as a solution to centuries of persecution and a vehicle for national rebirth, allowing Jews to live as a nation and realize their collective aspirations [20, 21]. This assertion of a distinct Jewish nationality was a central tenet for many of its advocates [22].
However, this vision of Jewish nationhood was not universally accepted, even within Jewish communities themselves. Some prominent Jewish groups in the West strongly contested the idea, arguing that Judaism was a religion, not a separate political nationality, and that their primary identity was as citizens of their respective countries [23]. Others saw Zionism's separatist tendencies as an infatuation born of persecution that would fade with time [24]. This internal debate highlighted the controversial nature of Zionism as a political, rather than purely religious, project, making it a clearer target for external ideological attack.
The leadership of the Iranian Revolution seized upon this. Ayatollah Khomeini explicitly and forcefully condemned the Shah's recognition of Israel, framing it as a capitulation to 'Jewish infidels' and a profound 'affront to Islam, the Qur'an, the Muslim governments and the entire Muslim people' . This was a masterstroke of ideological warfare. It transformed a foreign policy decision into an act of religious and national treason. The Shah's government was painted not merely as a political adversary, but as a slave to an illegitimate and anti-Islamic entity . By defining Israel as an 'infidel' government built on the 'logic of bandits,' the revolution defined itself as the defender of faith and justice.
In this new ideological landscape, anti-Zionism became a non-negotiable principle. It served multiple purposes: it delegitimized the deposed Shah, it provided a clear and present external enemy to rally the population against, and it positioned the Islamic Republic as a leader and protector of the broader Muslim world. The opposition to Zionism was not merely a political stance; it was a testament to the revolution's purity and its rejection of the Western-dominated world order that had enabled both the Shah and the state of Israel .
The transition from Pahlavi Iran to the Islamic Republic was a process of radical identity formation built upon a foundation of revolutionary ideology. The perceived moral and political failures of the Shah's regime, particularly its alignment with Western interests and its corrupt internal dynamics, created the conditions for a movement that promised a return to Islamic authenticity and national sovereignty . This required not only the overthrow of the old order but the creation of a new national narrative with clear heroes and villains.
In this narrative, anti-Zionism became an indispensable element. By casting the Shah's relationship with Israel as a supreme act of betrayal against Islam and the nation, the revolutionary leadership forged a powerful ideological weapon . Zionism, a Western-backed movement for Jewish political nationhood , was positioned as the antithesis of the Islamic Republic's vision. Opposing it became a defining characteristic of the new Iranian identity, a symbol of its piety, its anti-imperialism, and its claim to leadership in the Muslim world. Thus, the animosity was not a mere policy dispute, but was woven into the very fabric of the revolutionary state, an ideological necessity for a nation determined to define itself against the 'enemy' .
