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the land was religious rather than national, and they were not involved in—or supportive of—the Zionist movement which began in Europe and was brought to Palestine by immigrants. Most of the Jews who immigrated from Europe lived a more secular lifestyle and were committed to the goals of creating a Jewish nation and building a modern, independent Jewish state. By the outbreak of World War I (1914), the population of Jews in Palestine had risen to about 60,000, about 33,000 of whom were recent settlers. The Arab population in 1914 was 683,000. the land was religious rather than national, and they were not Although many Jews became Zionists by the early 20th century, involved in—or supportive of—the Zionist movement which began until the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and the institution of a in Europe and was brought to Palestine by immigrants. Most of the "Final Solution" to exterminate world Jewry most Jews were not Jews who immigrated from Europe lived a more secular lifestyle Zionists. Most orthodox Jews were anti-Zionist. They believed and were committed to the goals of creating a Jewish nation and _ that only God should reunite Jews in the Promised Land, and building a modern, independent Jewish state. regarded Zionism as a violation of God's will. By the outbreak of World War I (1914), the population of Jews Some Jews in other parts of the world, including the United in Palestine had risen to about 60,000, about 33,000 of whom were States, opposed Zionism out of concern that their own position and recent settlers. The Arab population in 1914 was 683,000. rights as citizens in their countries would be at risk if Jews were recognised as a distinct national (rather than religious) group. But ZIONISM the horrors of the Holocaust significantly diminished Jewish Zionism, or Jewish nationalism, is a modern political movement. opposition or antipathy to Zionism, and following World War II Its core beliefs are that all Jews constitute one nation (not simply a = most Jews throughout the world came to support the Zionist religious or ethnic community) and that the only solution to anti- movement and demand the creation of an independent Jewish state. Semitism was the concentration of as many Jews as possible in Although orthodox Jews continued to oppose the creation of a Palestine/Israel and the establishment of a Jewish state for several more decades, they sup- Jewish state there. The World Zionist ported mass settlement of Jews in Palestine as a Organization, established by Theodor Herzl in means of strengthening and protecting the com- 1897, declared that the aim of Zionism was to munity. And following the 1967 Arab-Israeli establish "a national home for the Jewish peo- wo. war, most orthodox Jews who previously had ple, secured by public law". The World Zionist resisted Zionism adopted the belief that Israel's Zionism drew on Jewish religious attachment 0 o overwhelming victory in the war was a sign of to Jerusalem and the Land of Israel (Eretz Organization, God's support and a fulfilment of God's promise Israel). But the politics of Zionism was influ- established by to bring about the Messianic era. enced by nationalist ideology and by colonial ° The areas captured and occupied in 1967, ideas about Europeans' rights to claim and settle Theodor Herzl in especially the West Bank, were important to other parts of the world. 1 897, declared that religious Jews because they are the core of the Zionism gained adherents among Jews and th . f Zi . biblical Land of Israel (Judea and Samaria). support from the West as a consequence of the eé aim of Zionism Consequently, Israel's victory in 1967 gave rise orcs") ant dewish to's (known as was to establish © a more religions variation of Zionism. "pogroms") in the Russian Empire in the . ome existing political parties representing late 19th and early 20th centuries. The "a national home for orthodox Jews came to embrace religious Nazi genocide (mass murder) of European the Jewish people, nationalism, and new parties and move- Jews during World War II killed over six . ments formed to advocate Israel's perma- secured by public u million, and this disaster enhanced interna- nent control and extensive Jewish settle- tional support for the creation of a Jewish ment in the West Bank and Gaza. state. The religious-nationalist parties and There are several different forms of groups that constitute the far right of the Zionism. From the 1920s until the 1970s, Israeli political spectrum maintain a hard the dominant form was Labor Zionism, line on matters relating to territory and the which sought to link socialism and nation- Arab-Israeli conflict. They have allied alism. By the 1920s, Labor Zionists in with the Likud Party. Although the Labor Palestine had established the kibbutz Party also has supported Jewish settlement movement (a kibbutz is a collective commune, usually with an agri- in the West Bank and Gaza, a key difference is a willingness to cultural economy), the Jewish trade union and cooperative move- consider a territorial compromise with Palestinians as a means of ment, the main Zionist militias (the Haganah and Palmah) and the ending the conflict. The Likud and its allies oppose any territorial political parties that ultimately coalesced in the Israeli Labor Party —_ withdrawal. In 1977, the Likud won the national election, for the in 1968. The top leader of Labor Zionism was David Ben-Gurion, first time unseating the Labor Party that had governed Israel since who became the first Prime Minister of Israel. independence. Since then, Likud and Labor have alternated as the A second form of Zionism was the Revisionist movement, led by governing party, sometimes forming coalition governments when Vladimir Jabotinsky. They earned the name "Revisionist" because neither could achieve a clear electoral victory. they wanted to revise the boundaries of Jewish territorial aspira- A minority of Jewish Israelis belongs to left-wing Zionist parties, tions and claims beyond Palestine to include areas east of the which formed a political coalition known as Meretz in the 1980s. Jordan River. In the 1920s and 1930s, they differed from Labor = Meretz often joins Labor-led governments. Leftist Zionists are Zionists by declaring openly the objective to establish a Jewish fully committed to maintaining Israel as a Jewish state, but tend to state (rather than the vaguer formula of a "national home") in be more willing than the Labor Party to compromise on territorial Palestine. And they believed that armed force would be required to issues and have relatively greater sympathy for Palestinians’ nation- establish such a state. Their pre-state organisations that included _al aspirations for a state of their own. the Betar youth movement and the ETZEL (National Military A tiny minority of ultra-leftist Jewish Israelis identify themselves Organization) formed the core of what became the Herut (Freedom) as non- or anti-Zionists. Some of them aspire to see all of Party after Israeli independence. This party subsequently became Israel/Palestine transformed into a single state with citizenship and the central component of the Likud Party, the largest right-wing equal rights for all inhabitants, and others advocate the creation of a Israeli party since the 1970s. Palestinian state in all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Organization, established by Theodor Herzl in 1897, declared that the aim of Zionism was to establish "a national home for the Jewish people, secured by public law". 20 ¢ NEXUS JUNE - JULY 2002 The World Zionist www.nexusmagazine.com