Revisionist Zionism

Revisionist Zionism is a right wing tendency within the Zionist movement. The ideology was developed by Ze'ev Jabotinsky who advocated a "revision" of the "practical Zionism" of David Ben Gurion and Chaim Weizmann, which was focused on independent settlement of Eretz Yisrael. Revisionist Zionism was instead centered on a vision of "political Zionism", which Jabotinsky regarded as following the legacy of Theodore Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism.

Jabotinsky and Revisionist Zionism

After World War One, Jabotinsky was elected to the first legislative assembly in the Yishuv, and in 1921 he was elected to the Executive Council of the World Zionist Organization. He quit the latter group in 1923, however, due to differences of opinion with its chairman, Chaim Weizmann, and established the Revisionist Party. In 1925, Jabotinsky formed the Revisionist Zionist Alliance, in the World Zionist Congress to advocate his views, which included increased cooperation with Britain on transforming the entire British Mandate of Palestine on both sides of the Jordan River into a sovereign Jewish state, loyal to the British Empire. To this end, Jabotinsky advocated for mass Jewish immigration from Europe and the creation of a second Jewish Legion to guard a nascent Jewish state at inception. A staunch anglophile, Jabotinsky wished to convince Britain that a Jewish state would be in the best interest of the British Empire, perhaps even an autonomous extension of it in the Middle East.

Related Topics:
World War One - Yishuv - World Zionist Organization - Chaim Weizmann - Revisionist Party - Revisionist Zionist Alliance - World Zionist Congress - British Mandate of Palestine - Jordan River - British Empire - Jewish Legion - Anglophile - Middle East

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When, in 1935, the Zionist Organization (later known as the World Zionist Organization) failed to accept Jabotinsky's program, he and his followers seceded to form the New Zionist Organization. The NZO rejoined the ZO in 1946. The Zionist Organization was roughly comprised of General Zionists, who were in the majority, followers of Jabotinisky, who came in a close second, and Labour Zionists, led by David Ben Gurion, who compromised a minority yet had much influence where it mattered, in the Yishuv.

Related Topics:
Zionist Organization - New Zionist Organization - General Zionists - David Ben Gurion

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Despite its strong representation in the Zionist Organization, Revisionist Zionism had a small presence in the Yishuv, in contrast to Labour Zionism, which was dominant among kibbutzim and workers, and hence the settlement enterprise. General Zionism was dominant among the middle class, which later aligned itself with the Revisionists. In the Jewish Diaspora, Revisionism was most established in Poland, where its base of operations was organized in various political parties and Zionist Youth groups, such as Betar. By the late 1930s, Revisionist Zionism was divided into three distinct idealogical streams: the "Centrists", the Irgun, and the "Messianists".

Related Topics:
Yishuv - Labour Zionism - Kibbutz - General Zionism - Middle class - Betar - Irgun - Messianists

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Jabotinsky later argued for a need to establish a base in the Yishuv, and developed a vision to guide the Revisionist movement and the new Jewish society on the economic and social policy centered around the ideal of the Jewish middle class in Europe. Jabotinsky believed that basing the movement on a philosophy contrasting with the socialist oriented Labor Zionists would attract the support of the General Zionists.

Related Topics:
Yishuv - Middle class - General Zionists

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In line with this thinking, the Revisionists transplanted into the Yishuv their own youth movement, Betar. They also set up a paramilitary group, Irgun, a labour union, the National Labour Federation, and their own health services. The latter were intended to counteract the increasing hegemony of Labour Zionism over community services via the Histadrut and address the refusal of the Histadrut to make its services available to Revisionist Party members.

Related Topics:
Irgun - National Labour Federation - Histadrut

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