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Zionism: Modern Zionism
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Zionism is the ideological success story of the twentieth century. It has overcome seemingly insuperable obstacles to realize an impossible dream. Zionism is not a pernicious conspiracy, but it has aroused opposition owing to its success. This brief survey will discuss the history of the Zionist movement, and show how it created modern Israel and was in turn re-shaped by the revolutionary new reality that it had created.
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"Zionism is a modern national liberation movement whose roots go far back to Biblical times." (Rockaway, Robert. Zionism: The National Liberation Movement of The Jewish People, World Zionist Organization, January 21, 1975, accessed August 17, 2006).
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Needing an enemy has meant that Zionism has from the beginning had to create myths about Palestinians, painting Palestinians and all Arabs as immutably hostile and intransigent. Thus the myth that in 1948 Palestinians left Palestine so that Arab armies could throw the Jews into the sea; ... the continuing myth that Palestinians remain determined to destroy Israel. Needing an enemy means that Zionism, as one veteran Israeli peace activist recently put it, has removed the Palestinians from history. Thus the myths that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, or that Palestinians all immigrated in modern times from other Arab countries, or that Jordan is Palestine and Palestinians should find their state there.
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The modern, secular form of Zionism got its start in 1896 when Theodor Herzl wrote a small pamphlet with the title "The Jewish State." In it Herzl described a plan for bringing the Jews of the world, scattered by the diaspora, back to their original home in Palestine where they could create a modern Jewish state. He expected it to be gradual - not a sudden wave of immigration but rather a slow reclamation of territory through immigration and growing families. As Herzl himself wrote:
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A Jewish nationalist movement, Zionism was responsible for establishing the modern state of Israel as the Jewish homeland. Although generally attributed to Theodor Herzl and other 19th century groups, Zionism dates back to the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora, the Babylonian Exile of the 6th century BC. The Lamentations of Jeremiah and Psalm 137 speak of the exiled Jews' longing for Zion (Jerusalem).
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Zionism is an internationalpolitical movementthat supports ahomeland for the Jewish Peoplein theLand of Israel. Although its origins are earlier, the movement was formally established by Austrian journalistTheodor Herzlin the late nineteenth century. The international movement was eventually successful in establishing theState of Israelin1948, as the world's first and only modernJewish State. It continues primarily as support for the state and government of Israel and its continuing status as a homeland for the Jewish people. Described as a "diasporanationalism," its proponents regard it as anational liberation movementwhose aim is theself-determinationof the Jewish people.
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Modern Zionism