The explicit support demonstrated by sections of Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese Buddhist community for Israel during the war in Gaza stands in stark contrast to the anti-Israeli rallies organised by leftist, liberal, and Muslim groups across the country. This unwavering backing of Israel—despite mounting international criticism over its military actions in Gaza—suggests a deeper ideological motivation.

In the Indian context, pro-Israeli sentiment is frequently associated with Hindutva ideology, which views Israel as a strategic bulwark against perceived Islamic expansionism. However, the Sinhalese Buddhist fascination with Israel and Jewish identity appears to be shaped by more complex and historically embedded factors that extend beyond contemporary security concerns. To understand this affinity, it is essential to examine the ideological, historical, and myth-making processes that have influenced Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism over time.

Dharmapala, Zionism, and Early Nationalist Parallels

Although Sri Lanka’s recorded history offers little concrete evidence of a Jewish presence on the island, early Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism demonstrated a notable affinity for Zionism, viewing it as a model for national revival. Anagarika Dharmapala, the pioneering figure of modern Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism, was among the earliest Sinhalese leaders to express admiration for Jews and the Zionist movement.

Dharmapala often articulated pronounced hostility toward Sri Lanka’s Muslim community, at times comparing them to European Jews—a reflection of the racialised discourse prevalent in Western societies during that era. Paradoxically, despite these overtly anti-Semitic remarks, Dharmapala appeared intrigued by perceived historical parallels between the Sinhalese and Jewish peoples. Writing in Sinhala Buddhist, a nationalist newspaper in British Ceylon, he argued that both communities had demonstrated exceptional resilience and courage in preserving their identities against external threats.

The “Chosen People” Narrative and Sacred Histories

A core similarity between Zionist ideology and Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism lies in their shared emphasis on civilisational uniqueness rooted in sacred history. Sinhalese nationalist narratives have long celebrated the community’s distinct racial and cultural status, often portraying it as untainted by external influence. This outlook closely mirrors the Jewish concept of being a “chosen people.”

In Ceylon: A Divided Nation, British scholar B. H. Farmer explores how historical narratives shape collective identity among both Jews and Sinhalese. The Mahavamsa—the foundational chronicle of Sinhalese Buddhism that glorifies ancient kings and their patronage of Buddhism—plays a role analogous to the Books of Kings in the Old Testament. Farmer argues that the Sinhalese Buddhist psyche, grounded in Mahavamsa narratives portraying the Sinhalese as the true guardians of Buddhism, exhibits striking parallels with Jewish beliefs in divine chosenness.

Post-Independence Nationalism and the Israel Model

In the turbulent years following independence, Sinhalese nationalists amplified unsubstantiated historical analogies between Sinhalese and Jewish communities to legitimise exclusionary politics and deepen hostility toward Tamils. When nationalist-oriented Defence Secretary N. Q. Dias advised Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike to strengthen Sri Lanka’s armed forces in anticipation of Tamil separatism, his proposals included the creation of agricultural settlements as buffer zones in the Northern Province.

For many Sinhalese nationalists, including Dias, the belief that Sinhalese Buddhists were the rightful custodians of the land—by virtue of their role as protectors of Buddhism—justified these settlement schemes. Notably, Israel’s settlement policies served as an implicit model. By emulating Jewish nostalgia for a glorified scriptural past, Sinhalese nationalists sought to reclaim and colonise the North, envisioning a revival of the ancient civilisation described in the Mahavamsa. Despite profound contextual differences, both cases share a central ideological feature: the assertion of a historically or divinely sanctioned entitlement to land.

Post-War Mythmaking and Pseudo-History

In post-civil-war Sri Lanka, this symbolic alignment with Jewish identity took an increasingly mythological turn. Sinhalese chauvinist writers such as Dr Mirando Obeyasekere promoted speculative narratives that glorified supposed ancient connections between Sinhalese and Jews—despite a complete absence of historical evidence.

Obeyasekere’s popular works advanced pseudo-scientific claims linking Sri Lanka’s mythical king Ravana to the origins of Israel, suggesting that Ravana sent a relative named “Judah” to establish a Middle Eastern civilisation. Although entirely unsubstantiated, such narratives gained traction among Sinhalese nationalists, offering an imagined civilisational bond with Israel that reinforced claims of chosenness and historical grandeur.

Myth, Identity, and Contemporary Allegiance

These myth-based narratives reveal a deeper psychological impulse: the desire to anchor Sinhalese Buddhist identity within a framework of global uniqueness and divine purpose. While Sri Lanka’s diplomatic relations with Israel have fluctuated since independence, Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist sentiment continues to exhibit a strong emotional affinity toward Israel.

This fascination is driven not by historical fact, but by myth, legend, and belief systems that allow Sinhalese nationalists to imagine themselves as a chosen nation entrusted with the defence of Buddhism. In this sense, their admiration for Israel represents an emulation—rather than an understanding—of Jewish narratives of chosenness, filtered through local nationalist mythmaking.

(The author is a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. Views expressed are personal. He can be reached at punsaraprint10@gmail.com.)