What would have been better without Zionism? The European frei Zionists would have been frei anyway.
Er. Without zionism there wouldn’t be zionists. Zionism, like all other isms, pulled people. Without the pull you don’t get pulled. Yes, there were many bad winds blowing, but each one was about an ideology. Zionism preceded the other ones, and was the only one cloaked as Jewish.
Without the reform movement, there wouldn’t be an alternative Judaism. Some people would Shmad completely, but most would have stayed as real Jews. Same here.
The Machlokes of whether it is right to campaign to the UN or the Brits to get our land is not really the point. It did seem like it back then, which is why the movement had the backing of some Rabbonim. Many of them realized, after some time, that they were taken for a ride by those whose goal had nothing to do with Yiddishkeit.
Then there is the issue of Merida Ba’umos, which would only apply to the acts of sabotage against the British. I don’t think any Rabbonim really split over that. It is mainly used by those already against them.
After the state was established, most Rabbonim accepted the fact that what was done was done. This is what the Steipler writes in Kraina De’igrassa. Satmar, Eida, and Naturei Karta continued the fight at different degrees.
The fact is that the only Zionists around are those learning in Yeshivos. Those who were fighting against the sweeping movement that claimed many Neshamos don’t have that complaint or threat anymore. I really don’t see the point in keeping alive an old fight. Should we be making protests against the Tzedukim, too?