Zionism

views updated

ZIONISM

An international movement for the establishment of a Jewish homeland, formally founded in 1897 although initiated in the 1880s. The word "Zionist," which was coined in 1890 by Nathan Birnbaum, is derived from "Zion," one of hills of ancient Jerusalem, in the Bible sometimes applied to Jerusalem itself.

From the beginning, Zionism had both religious and secular aspects. Religious Jews believe that the land of Israel was given to the Jews by God, that their right to it is inalienable, and that their return to it was promised by God in biblical prophecies. However, not all of them have agreed with the idea of establishing a Jewish state by human agency before the return of the Messiah; before the 1930s many opposed it, and even today a few consider it blasphemous.

For secular Jews, on the other hand, Zionism was a political movement. Born of the continual oppression and persecution to which the Jews of Eastern Europe were subjected, it was triggered by the 1881–1884 pogroms in Russia. At that time, a few Jews began moving to Palestine; Rishon Le-Zion, the first Jewish agricultural colony, was established near Jaffa in 1882. Books and pamphlets proposing a Jewish homeland circulated among Europeans Jews, most notably "The Jewish State" by Theodor Herzl. The first world Zionist Congress, which was convened by Herzl and held in August of 1897 in Basel, endorsed the concept and began making plans, after which it became known worldwide. At first Jews of all political and religious persuasions joined to form the movement and worked together toward its goals. Later, dissention developed and Zionism split into factions. Socialist Zionism, favored by many secular Jews, was among the main branches.

Support for Zionism grew among Jews grew throughout the early twentieth century. The Holocaust, followed by the problem of refugees after World War II, convinced the vast majority, as well as many non-Jews, that a Jewish homeland in Palestine was urgently needed. Although not all of them approved of the radical tactics of some Zionists, in 1948 the movement achieved its aim through the creation of the State of Israel. Since that time, most Jews throughout the world have considered themselves Zionists in the sense that they support the existence of that state; but there are differences among them as to what Zionism entails.

The international Zionist movement continues to support Israel by such means as encouraging immigration and the investment of private capital, mobilizing public opinion in Israel's favor, and fundraising. However, since Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the Six-Day War of 1967, there has been opposition, both within Israel and elsewhere, to the view that there should be no compromise with the Palestinians.

The term "Zionist" is now also applied to groups in the Christian Zionism movement. Some fundamentalist and evangelical Protestants believe that according to Biblical prophecies, the return of the Jews to the Holy Land and the building of the Third Temple are necessary preconditions for Jesus to return and reign on Earth, and that by supporting Israel, they are helping to fulfill God's plan. This is a distinct, and much less widespread, view than the general belief of most Christians that the Jews have a right to a homeland in Israel; and it has political consequences, as these groups are adamantly opposed to any peace plan involving compromise.

Dictionary of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict