(A Facebook friend suggested I publish this oft-posted-on-FB comment.)
A lesson we learned in Hebrew School about the meaning of "Chosen People."
This was not meant to suggest that the Hebrews (or Jews) were special in the sense of superior, or privileged, or better, or due special favor. Rather, it meant that, as a people, they were to set themselves apart in service to God, and be a model to "the gentiles" of God's justice and mercy. It meant suffering and hardships to prove loyalty to God. It set up a long list of "commandments" (613 in the Torah) far stricter than just the ten given on Mt Sinai. The fringes on the garments had symbolic representation of 613 as a constant reminder, as were the Tefillin worn during prayer and the mezzuzah on the doorposts. It was more of a burden and constant challenge to live up to a higher standard, one which they constantly failed at, yet were steadfast in holding up that standard.
And confusing zionists with religious Jews is part of the problem. The ORIGINAL zionists were xtian fundies who followed Darby and Scofield, who inspired secular atheists like Hertzl to work with Judenhassers (like Balfour, and later Hitler) to get Jews out of Europe and into some place they MIGHT be safe from pogroms and persecution. Of course, by persecuting the persons ALREADY in Palestine (after centuries of Jews, Muslims, and Christians living there in harmony) they were not practicing Judaism at all, but were aping the very Notsees they fled from.