9 4 8 , ▁Z ion ism ▁continues ▁primarily ▁to ▁advoc ate ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁Israel ▁and ▁to ▁address ▁thre ats ▁to ▁its ▁continued ▁existence ▁and ▁security . ▁ ▁A ▁religious ▁variety ▁of ▁Z ion ism ▁supports ▁Jews ▁u ph old ing ▁their ▁Jewish ▁identity ▁defined ▁as ▁ad her ence ▁to ▁religious ▁J uda ism , ▁oppos es ▁the ▁assim ilation ▁of ▁Jews ▁into ▁other ▁soci eties , ▁and ▁has ▁advoc ated ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁Jews ▁to ▁Israel ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁for ▁Jews ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁majority ▁nation ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁state . ▁A ▁variety ▁of ▁Z ion ism , ▁called ▁cultural ▁Z ion ism , ▁founded ▁and ▁represented ▁most ▁prom in ently ▁by ▁Ah ad ▁Ha ' am , ▁fost ered ▁a ▁sec ular ▁vision ▁of ▁a ▁Jewish ▁" sp irit ual ▁center " ▁in ▁Israel . ▁Un like ▁Herz l , ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁political ▁Z ion ism , ▁Ah ad ▁Ha ' am ▁st riv ed ▁for ▁Israel ▁to ▁be ▁" a ▁Jewish ▁state ▁and ▁not ▁merely ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁Jews ". ▁ ▁Adv oc ates ▁of ▁Z ion ism ▁view ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁national ▁liber ation ▁movement ▁for ▁the ▁rep atri ation ▁of ▁a ▁per sec uted ▁people ▁res iding ▁as ▁minor ities ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁nations ▁to ▁their ▁ancest ral ▁hom eland . ▁Crit ics ▁of ▁Z ion ism ▁view ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁colonial ist , ▁rac ist ▁and ▁exception al ist ▁ide ology ▁that ▁led ▁advoc ates ▁to ▁violence ▁during ▁Mand atory ▁Palest ine ,