Zionism

For other meanings, please see Zionism (disambiguation)

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Zionism is a political movement and an ideology that supports a Jewish homeland in the Land of Israel, where the Jewish nation originated and where Jewish kingdoms and self governing states existed at various times in history. While Zionism is based heavily upon religious tradition linking the Jewish people to the Land of Israel, the movement was originally secular, beginning largely as a response to rampant antisemitism in late 19th century Europe. The Zionist movement acquired British and League of Nations sponsorship after World War I, resulting in the creation of the British Mandate of Palestine, which specifically called for ?placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home.? After an often tumultuous Mandate period, and after the Holocaust had destroyed Jewish society in Europe, the Zionist movement culminated in the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

Related Topics:
Political movement - Ideology - Jew - Homeland - Land of Israel - Religious tradition - Secular - Antisemitism - Europe - British - League of Nations - World War I - British Mandate of Palestine - The Holocaust - State of Israel

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Since the founding of the State of Israel, ?Zionism? has come generally to mean support for Israel. However, a variety of different, and sometimes competing, ideologies that support Israel fit under the general category of Zionism, such as Religious Zionism, Revisionist Zionism and Labour Zionism. Thus, the term is also sometimes used to refer specifically to the programs of these ideologies, such as efforts to encourage Jewish immigration to Israel. The label Zionist is also used improperly as a euphemism for Jews in general by those wishing to white-wash anti-Semitism (as in the Polish anti-Zionist campaign) or for Jews who are alleged by anti-Semites to be part of a conspiracy to dominate the world. Martin Luther King, Jr., addressed the subject in 1968 while giving a speech at Harvard University: "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews, You are talking anti-Semitism." Encounter magazine, December 1969, p. 24.

Related Topics:
Religious Zionism - Revisionist Zionism - Labour Zionism - Jewish immigration to Israel - Euphemism - Polish anti-Zionist campaign

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The word "Zionism" is derived from the word "Zion" (Hebrew: ????, Tziyyon), one of the names of Jerusalem, as mentioned in the Bible. It was coined as a term for Jewish nationalism by Austrian Jewish publisher Nathan Birnbaum in his journal Self Emancipation in 1890.

Related Topics:
Zion - Hebrew - Jerusalem - Bible - Nationalism - Austria - Jew - Nathan Birnbaum - 1890

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This article is intended to be a survey of the history and objectives of the Zionist movement, not as a history of Israel or of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The history of the various forms of opposition to Zionism is discussed at the article Anti-Zionism.

Related Topics:
History of Israel - Arab-Israeli conflict - Anti-Zionism

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