What is Zionism?
October 28, 2011
Zionism is the Jewish national movement of rebirth and renewal in the land of Israel – the historical birthplace of the Jewish people. The yearning to return to Zion, the biblical term for both the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, has been the cornerstone of Jewish religious life since the Jewish exile from the land two thousand years ago, and is embedded in Jewish prayer, ritual, literature and culture.
Modern Zionism emerged in the late 19th century in response to the violent persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe, anti-Semitism in Western Europe. Modern Zionism fused the ancient Jewish biblical and historical ties to the ancestral homeland with the modern concept of nationalism into a vision of establishing a modern Jewish state in the land of Israel.
The “father” of modern Zionism, Austrian journalist Theodor Herzl, consolidated various strands of Zionist thought into an organized political movement, advocating for international recognition of a “Jewish state” and encouraging Jewish immigration to build the land.
Today, decades after the actual founding of a Jewish state, Zionism continues to be the guiding nationalist movement of the majority of Jews around the world who believe in, support and identify with the State of Israel. Zionism, the national aspiration of the Jewish people to a homeland, is to the Jewish people what the liberation movements of Africa and Asia have been to their peoples.
History has demonstrated the need to ensure Jewish security through such a homeland. The re-establishment of Jewish independence in Israel, after centuries of struggle to overcome foreign conquest and exile, is a vindication of the fundamental concepts of the equality of nations and of self-determination. To question the Jewish people’s right to national existence and freedom is not only to deny to the Jewish people the right accorded to every other people on this globe, but it is also to deny the central precepts of the United Nations.
Similar posts
-
The Growing Cost of Anti-Israel Media Bias
June 3, 2021A New York Times front-page feature charging Israel with murdering children sparked outrage. While i...
-
Video of the Dangerous Gaza Border in Israel
May 20, 2021Here is a video with an inside look at the most dangerous place in Israel right now, the Gaza border...
-
Here are the Facts on Israel and Gaza
May 12, 2021For those of you being inundated by social media posts about Israel and Gaza and are confused, here ...
-
Six Beautiful Hotels Opening in Israel
April 29, 2021The pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the hospitality industry in Israel as well as worldwide. Some...
-
A Guide to 12 Beaches in Tel Aviv
April 23, 2021There are few destinations more desirable than a beach chair in front of the Mediterranean Sea. The ...
-
Video of Israel Then and Now
April 14, 2021Israel is turning 73 today, but age is just a number. From making the landscape greener to bringin...
-
68 Fun Facts About Israel
April 9, 2021Israel has the highest number of altruistic kidney donations per capita in the world: 1,005 in...
-
Israel Demands NBC Apologize for ‘Anti-Semitic’ Skit
February 22, 2021“Your ‘joke’ is ignorant . . . every citizen of Israel–Jewish, Muslim, Christian–is entitled...
Don’t worry udge! I checked the nbumer of votes after reading anon’s comment, and there weren’t even that many total votes in the whole category. Besides, you can vote again every three days, so if you’re feeling inadequate… 😉