61 Years Later, A Review of Malcolm X’s Essay, "Zionist Logic"
August 5, 2025•913 words
"You can’t drive a knife into a man’s back nine inches, pull it out six inches, and call it progress." - Malcolm X
"Facts do not at all speak for themselves, but require a socially acceptable narrative to absorb, sustain, and circulate them." - Edward Said
"There’s really no such thing as the ‘voiceless.’ There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard." - Arundhati Roy
"Palestine is a moral litmus test for the world." - Angela Y. Davis
"We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians." - Nelson Mandela
"It is a terrible, an inexorable law that one cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one’s own." - James Baldwin
Before diving into this review, I want to share a bit of background. After many thoughtful and deep conversations with my son, especially following his reading of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and our viewing of Spike Lee’s 1992 film Malcolm X, a powerful 3 hour and 21 minute experience, I felt compelled to read and re-read Malcolm X’s essay, "Zionist Logic" to truly absorb his perspective from that era in the 1960s. I want to be clear, this review is not antisemitic in any way. My goal is to highlight and explore what Malcolm X, an important American civil rights leader, witnessed, lived through, and articulated during that intense period in history.
It's important to realize that Malcolm X's perspective at a very particular point in time is reflected in Malcolm X's essay. Intense anti-colonial movements and a growing sense of solidarity among nations in the global south, in the 1960s labelled, "The Third World," Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Malcolm X's passionate, and unapologetically political tone was perfectly in line with the revolutionary times of the era. His remarks are polarizing, occasionally provocative, and firmly anchored in international discussions of imperialism, liberation, and Zionism.
Malcolm X's 1964 essay "Zionist Logic" offers a daring and passionately criticism of extreme, imperialistic authoritarian Zionism. He doesn't hold back. Malcolm X argues in the article that Zionism is a contemporary, slick form of colonialism rather than merely establishing a homeland for Jews. According to him, it is a tactic employed by Western nations, particularly those in the US and Europe, to maintain control over recently independent nations in the Arab and African worlds. He views Israel as a strategically positioned tool of imperial control rather than as a divine realization of prophecy.
Malcolm X's main argument is that Zionism has merely substituted a more hidden form of dominance for the original one. He asserts that Zionists arrive with gifts, cash, aid, technical support, and partnership promises, instead of sending troops and flying flags like the 19th-century colonial empires. Malcolm X cautions, however, that there are conditions associated with this purported friendship. What looks like generosity is really just “dollarism,” a way to buy influence and control under the radar. Because people might not even be aware that they are being dominated, he thought this strengthened the hold of modern imperialism.
He also discusses how this develops itself on the ground. He argues that Israel has deliberately created instability in the Arab world, especially through its occupation of Palestine, which compels Arab countries to invest valuable resources in defence rather than progress. Then, he claims, Zionist propaganda reverses course and portrays that economic hardship as evidence of Arab leaders' incapacity. Malcolm X claims that it is a trap intended to drive African countries away from their Arab neighbours and toward Israel [or United States] for assistance. "They cripple the bird's wing, and then condemn it for not flying," he states bluntly.
Malcolm X is blatantly cynical and extremely doubtful of the religious justifications for the state of Israel. He questions the notion that Zionists today have the right to annex Palestinian territory because of ancient scripture. He asks, "Where's the messiah?" pointing out that Israel was founded as a result of a United Nations agreement rather than divine intervention. He even makes the scathing analogy that the Moors should have the right to retake Spain if Zionists can claim land because their ancestors lived there thousands of years ago. Malcolm X doesn't think that line of thinking is sound.
Malcolm X concludes by warning that any real unity between African and Arab countries, particularly if it is based on socialism, is feared by what he refers to as the "Zionist, capitalist conspiracy." He views African and Arab solidarity as a genuine threat to the imperialist agenda and commends leaders such as Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt for advocating for it.
And now, 61 years later, here we are. What Malcolm X forewarned about in this 1964 essay for The Egyptian Gazette is still happening. It may even be worse. The indigenous Palestinian population is currently the target of ongoing genocide and increased ethnic cleansing, particularly in Gaza and random drone and sniper killings of Palestinian youth in the West Bank. Malcolm X's description of dispossession, propaganda, and the stifling of opposition is still painfully true today. His remarks were not limited to his era. They reverberate into ours, drawing attention to ongoing struggles.
The year of 2025, marks the 100th birthday of Malcolm X. If this great historical American was alive, we would not be surprise if he would say, "I told you so."
Malcolm X, may Allah grant you paradise and may you rest in peace.