| Explain what is meant
by Zionism |
| Definition:
Zionism is the national movement for the return
of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish
sovereignty (rule) in the Land of Israel. |
| When did it start? In
the late 1800s, Theodor Herzl founded the Zionism, a political movement
dedicated to the creation of a Jewish state in Israel. |
| Why Zion?
The name "Zionism" comes from the word
"Zion," which was the name of a hill in Jerusalem. |
| What were the aims?
The early Zionists wanted to establish a secular
(non-religious) state of Israel, recognized by the world, through purely
legal means. |
| What motivated Herzl? Anti-Jewish
anger and violence… shocked Herzl into realizing the need for a
Jewish state |
| Did they ever consider other countries? At one
point that they actually considered a British proposal to create a Jewish
homeland in Uganda. |
| What happened in 1917? The
British government said that they wanted to create a Jewish homeland in
Palestine (Israel) |
| Who took over from the British in 1947? The
United Nations took over plans from the British to establish a
Jewish State. |
| When was the State of Israel eventually
established? The
new State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. |
| What happened on the following day? The
surrounding Arab nations immediately attacked the new Jewish state.
The Jews and the Arabs fought a year-long war… the new
state of Israel won this war. |
| Explain …why Jews might have different
opinions about it |
| FOR |
AGAINST |
| Jewish
prayers
speak of Jerusalem, Zion and the Land of Israel. |
The
return to Israel has resulted in constant fighting with the Palestinians. |
| The
instruction not to forget Jerusalem, the site of the Temple, is a
major part of Judaism. |
Strict
religious practices aren’t enforced (alternatively, religious laws are
too strict) |
| The Hebrew
language, the Torah, laws in the Talmud, the Jewish
calendar and Jewish holidays and festivals such as Shavuot all
originated in Israel and revolve around its seasons and conditions. |
The
Messiah hasn’t come yet – when he does, he will rebuild the Temple and
bring peace. |
| Jews
pray toward Jerusalem and recite the words "next year in
Jerusalem" every Passover. |
God
should bring about a State of Israel, not man. |
| Jewish
religion, culture and history make clear that it is only in the
land of Israel that the Jewish commonwealth can be built |
|