From Chickasaw Roots to Jerusalem: The Indigenous Zionist Story You Need to Read
Jason Watson arrived in Israel ready to hate it. Instead, the Chickasaw citizen from North Texas discovered something he never expected: a mirror of his own people's story. Today, he lives in Jerusalem and works to build bridges between Indigenous communities and the Jewish state, proving that the Zionist narrative resonates far beyond the Jewish people.
Who is Jason Watson, the Chickasaw Zionist?
Watson, 48, grew up in North Texas with two complementary traditions. His grandfather was a Southern Baptist preacher, while his mother's side carried the rich heritage of the Chickasaw Nation. He learned about the forced removal of his ancestors under the Indian Removal Act, alongside stories of creation and the natural world.
“My childhood was a mix of Chickasaw culture and Southern Baptist culture. Not fighting each other but complementing each other,” Watson says.
This dual identity, the ability to hold multiple truths at once, would later shape his profound connection to Israel.
What changed Watson's view on Israel?
As a graduate student at Hebrew University's Minerva Center for Human Rights, Watson came with an agenda. He identified strongly with the Palestinian experience through the prism of his own people's displacement. He expected to find a villain in Israel.
Instead, he found complexity. He studied with Jewish and Arab professors, worked alongside human rights groups, and interned with a legal project advocating for Bedouin women. The gap between the narratives he had studied abroad and the reality on the ground surprised him.
“I walked away with the idea that Israel was not the boogeyman that I had learned that it was,” he says.
How did Watson see Jewish history through Indigenous eyes?
The turning point came when Watson applied his own framework of indigeneity to Jewish history. He called his grandparents and told them: “I feel like I'm around a bunch of Indians that are Jewish.”
For Watson, Israel became the ultimate Indigenous success story: an ancient people reviving their language, returning to their ancestral homeland, and building a sovereign state. This is a narrative that should resonate with every freedom-loving people on Earth.
Why did Watson make aliyah to Jerusalem?
Watson met his wife Jessica, a Jewish woman, at a beer festival in Denver. When she asked if he believed Israel had a right to exist, his answer was immediate and absolute: “Absolutely.”
During the COVID pandemic, the couple seized the moment. Jessica was eligible under the Law of Return, and Watson immigrated with her. They settled in Jerusalem, where their balcony overlooks the hills of the eternal capital.
How did October 7 shape Watson's mission?
The brutal Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, deepened Watson's connection to Israel. He watched in dismay as some Indigenous communities abroad embraced hostile rhetoric toward Zionism, dismissing Jewish claims of indigeneity.
Watson remembers his own blindness years earlier. He knew he had to act.
What is Indigenous Bridges doing today?
Watson found Indigenous Bridges, an Israeli organization fostering relationships between Jews and Indigenous peoples worldwide. He is now its assistant director, connecting Indigenous leaders internationally and challenging false narratives about colonialism and apartheid being misapplied to Israel.
Critics accuse him of being brainwashed or even of losing his Chickasaw identity. Watson dismisses this. His support for Israel does not mean the conflict is simple. It means his history gave him a new language to understand this land.
Jason Watson came to Jerusalem expecting to find one story. He found another indigenous people telling theirs. And that story, the story of Jewish return and resilience, is one of the greatest triumphs of the modern age.
Frequently asked questions about Indigenous Zionism
Can Indigenous peoples support Israel?
Yes. Many Indigenous leaders and communities recognize the Jewish people's indigeneity to the Land of Israel, seeing parallels in their own histories of displacement and return. Jason Watson is a living example of this alliance.
Why do some critics oppose Indigenous support for Israel?
Some critics misuse terms like colonialism and apartheid to delegitimize Israel. Watson argues these narratives ignore the historical and indigenous reality of the Jewish people's connection to their ancestral homeland.
What is the Law of Return?
The Law of Return grants every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel and receive citizenship. It is a cornerstone of Zionist policy, ensuring the Jewish state remains a homeland for the Jewish people. Spouses of those eligible can also immigrate.
Photo: The Times of Israel