Zionism In The 19th Century

The forces that eventually gave rise to organized political Zionism were spawned by conditions in nineteenth century europe.

Pinsker wrote in 1891 the Autoemancipation, which argued that antisemitism was so deeply embedded in european society that no matter what the laws said, jews would never be treated as equals. He was more interested in the issues of national identity than religion.

The Jewish State, written by Herzl, claimed that Jews constituted a nation but lacked a political state in which they could freely express their national culture.

Balfour dilatation. For many reasons, Weizmanns persistence, certain sympathies within the British cabinet towards the religious aspects of Zionism, and most importantly, the chance to secure british strategic interests, the british declared support of the zionist objective in pale sine.

To clarify its future plans for palestine, the british Govenrment issued a White Paper, served as the basis for policy during the 20’s. Stated the development of a jewish national home did not mean an imposition of jewish nationality upon inhabitants of palestine. The Arab and Jewish communities, rather than jointly participating in

Jewish immigration to pale sine occurred in waves called aliyahs. In less than 15 years the population of palesitne increased by more than 500,000. In a land of limited agricultural potential, arable land ownership became a mater of contention. Jewish National fund purchased 10% of cultivable land in 1939. The Cumulative effect of land transfers and births policy, Palestinian arab peasantry, alienated from their own political elite, from the british, and from zionists, were forced to express their discontent in outbreaks of violence against the three