Somebody tell this ignorant Texan (me) What is Zionism?

[pinkpops]

[Alizaryn]

1. Here' s the basics of it.

Zi·on·ism (zī'ə-nĭz'əm)
n.
A Jewish movement that arose in the late 19th century in response to growing anti-Semitism and sought to reestablish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Modern Zionism is concerned with the support and development of the state of Israel.

[Botany]

2. This help?

<The Zionist movement. Many Jews saw an independent Jewish state in Palestine as the best escape from anti-Semitism. They established a movement called Zionism to establish such a state. In the late 1800's, Palestine was a poor, thinly populated region ruled by the Muslim Ottoman Empire. Most of Palestine's people were Muslim Arabs, though a small number of Jews also lived there. The Zionists bought land in Palestine and established farming communities. The first all-Jewish city, Tel Aviv, was founded in 1909.

In 1894, the trial of Alfred Dreyfus, a French army officer and Jew who had been falsely accused of treason, helped convince Theodor Herzl, an Austrian Jewish journalist, that Jews could never be secure until they had a nation of their own. In 1897, at the First Zionist Congress, Herzl organized the Zionist movement on a worldwide scale. See ZIONISM.

During World War I (1914-1918), many Jews in Palestine fought with the British against the Ottomans. In 1917, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, supporting the idea of a Jewish national home in Palestine. In addition, Britain promised Arab leaders support for an Arab state. The Arabs believed this state would include Palestine.

In 1918, the British captured Palestine from the Ottomans. The League of Nations--a forerunner of the United Nations--gave Britain temporary control of Palestine in 1920. In the 1920's and 1930's, Jewish immigration to Palestine increased, despite Arab opposition. See PALESTINE (World War I and the Balfour Declaration).>

From the World Book

[Democrats_win]

3. an international movement for the establishment of a Jewish national

or religious community in Palestine and later for the support of modern Israel (From the dictionary)

[joeybee12]

4. Political movement started in mid-19th century in Europe

to re-establish a Jewish state,. Genrally used today to mean support of the State of Israel.

[tocqueville]

5. read this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism

but it's only part of the "problem"

read more here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revisionist_Zionism

[Coastie for Truth]

9. But Revisionism was never the real heart and soul of the Movement

The real heart and soul of the Zionist Movement was always .

I grew up in a Labour Zionist - ILGWU - USWA - UMWA family - and we had picture on the mantle next to David Dubinsky's and Samuel Gompers' and Henry Wallace's (and, but of course, "Aunt" Eleanor Roosevelt's)

[pinkpops]

6. Thanks Guys and Gals

[pelsar]

7. not to difficult:

in the mainstream its a part of the jewish culture that relates to jews returning back to the land they were "tossed out of" 2,000 years ago by the romans. Its in the prayers, in the holidays etc. Part of the culture and religion.

it became a "modern" and not religious movement in the 1800s as result of anti-semetism...the idea that enough was enough and it was time to jews to defend themselves. So they bought land in palestine and some went to live....wasnt much of a movement until after WWII. After that zionism caught on "en mass"

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. It's called "Google" and it works!

There is this web site on the internets that you can go to and type in the little boxy thingy in the middle of the page whatever pops into your head and then you mash down on the "search" button.

Here is that site: http://www.google.com

You can also try this other web site that might work, it's called Wikipedia. Just do the same thing you did with Google when you find the search box on the page. Here is that web site: http//www.wikipedia.org

Good luck and happy hunting!

[Spinoza]

10. From "Der Judenstatt" (The Jewish State),

the founding document of modern Zionism, published by Theodore Herzl in 1896.

"....We are a PEOPLE, ONE people. We have everywhere tried honestly to integrate with the national communities surrounding us and to retain only our faith. We are NOT permitted to do so. In vain do we exert ourselves to increase the glory of our fatherlands by achievements in art and science, and their wealth by our contributions to their commerce....Vain to seek obscurity. They say: the coward, he is creeping into hiding, driven by his evil conscience. Vain to go among them and offer them one's hand. They say: why does he take such liberties with his Jewish pushfulness? Vain to keep faith with them as a comrade in arms or a fellow citizen. They say: he is Proteus, he can assume any shape or form. Vain to help them strip off the chains of ignorance and slavery. They say: no doubt he found it profitable. Vain to try to counteract the poison. .....Assimilation has proven impossible. If only they would leave us in peace. BUT THEY WILL NOT.......There is only one solution. The ancient and suffering Jewish people must again have their own state.....All peoples and faiths will be welcome to live with us, but, finally, we will be SAFE from them......

[Coastie for Truth]

11. Liturgically - it goes back to

Tish a'bav (Destruction of Temple in 70CE) and the subsequent closing prayer in our liturgy "Hashanh 'b Yerushalayim" which means "Next year In Jerusalem."

Additionally, as part of our funeral liturgy, a little mini-pillow of soil fron Israel is placed under the head of the deceased.