Encyclopedia & Dictionary of Zionism and Israel Zionism is the national revival movement of the Jewish people. It holds that the Jews have the right to self-determination in their own national home, and the right to develop their national culture. Historically, Zionism strove to create a legally recognized national home for the Jews in their historical homeland. This goal was implemented by the creation of the State of Israel. Today, Zionism supports the existence of the state of Israel and helps to inspire a revival of Jewish national life, culture and language. Controversy - Definitions of Zionism are controversial. The above definition is intended to be historically correct and tries not to exclude any Zionist group or make Zionism the "property" of a particular political faction. Other definitions may either delegitimize Zionism intentionally, or may do so unintentionally and may introduce distortions of various types. There are many definitions of Zionism that we will explore below. Definitions suggested by readers - You are welcome to post your definitions or criticisms of these definitions in the forum. These may be published here. Here is a definition of Zionism suggested by a reader. (Malvina M., Australia): Zionism today, in its simplest form, is the affirmation and support for the democratic state of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. Zionism is a political movement that includes many shades of opinion. Different factions of the Zionist movement and different commentators have offered different definitions of Zionism that suit their purposes and outlook. Not all of them are historically or ideologically accurate as generalizations. "Zionism" has several different types of meanings: 1. Zionism as an ideology - Zionist ideology holds that the Jews are a people or nation like any other, and should gather together in a single homeland. Zionism was self-consciously the Jewish analogue of Italian and German national liberation movements of the nineteenth century. The term "Zionism" was apparently coined in 1891 (1885 according to some sources) by the Austrian publicist Nathan Birnbaum, to describe the new ideology, but it was used retroactively to describe earlier efforts and ideas to return the Jews to their homeland for whatever reasons, and it is applied to Evangelical Christians who want people of the Jewish religion to return to Israel in order to hasten the second coming. 2. Zionism as a descriptive term - It is also used to describe the belief that Jews should return to their ancient homeland, and might be applied not only to the religious ideas of Evangelical Christians, but to the preaching of the ancient prophets.. 3. Zionism as a political movement - The Zionist movement was founded by Theodore Herzl in 1897, incorporating the ideas of early thinkers as well as the organization built by Hovevei Tziyon ("lovers of Zion"). Not everything that the Zionist movement accomplished, or that Zionists do or say, is a necessary part of Zionism Not just about a state - Zionism was not, historically, officially a movement to create a "Jewish State." The first Zionist congress in Basle, Switzerland, in 1897 resolved: Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine secured under public law (or International Law). Zionists therefore sought charters from governments to establish a national home under their protection. The objectives of the Basle Program were thought to have been realized with the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the Mandate for Palestine granted to the British in 1922. However, the British eventually reneged on their mandate obligation to support a Jewish homeland. In 1942 the Biltmore Conference resolved to adopt the goal of creating a Jewish state in Palestine, in opposition to British policy. This was not the original official goal of Zionism, but a departure from it forced by circumstances. Not just about religion - There are many religious Zionists, and early proponents of return to Zion in the 19th century were rabbis. However, the founders of the Zionist movement were not religious and the Zionist movement is not about religion or return to a "promised land." Not about borders - Zionism was never about borders. Some Zionist programs envisioned a Jewish homeland outside of Palestine, some Zionists envisioned a bi-national state (the Mapam party) , while others ("Revisionists") insisted that the Jewish state must be established on both sides of the Jordan river, in the full territory of the British Mandate. Not about taking from others or excluding others - Though the history of Zionism quickly became entangled with Arab nationalist aspirations, Zionism was not about taking land from others or excluding others. The Zionist "colonial" project aimed to buy land in Palestine, not to conquer it by force. See The Occupation, Palestinians, Israel and Zionism ) Not about militarism - Though the history of Israel and Jewish settlement in Palestine often seems like one long war with interruptions, most Zionists were not militarists. They believed that their cause would triumph by moral force alone. An early Zionist argued: The online reference Answers.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/zionism ) has this definition of Zionism: 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. The definition seems innocent, but it is loaded with assumptions and questionable historical assertions. Among Jews, the modern Zionist idea first began to take shape in the first part of the 19th century among the Proto-Zionists and was a response to the challenge of rise of nationalism, the enlightenment and the emancipation of the Jews, which threatened to make the Jewish adaptation to Diaspora life obsolete. The Chovevei Tzion groups who studied Hebrew and set up Hebrew schools in Russia were not doing so in order to escape anti-Semitism, but rather to bring about a national revival that would enable Judaism to adapt to the modern secular nation-state. Anti-Semitic persecutions provided a motive that helped popularize Zionism, but they could not, in themselves have been responsible for the Zionist ideology. The major reaction to anti-Semitic persecutions in Europe was emigration to the United States, not Zionism. The idea that the ancient land of Israel might be a refugee shelter for persecuted Jews captivated many American Jews such as Emma Lazarus. It is interesting that Lazarus and others did not think of going to the land of Israel themselves, nor, on the other hand, did it occur to them that the Jews of Europe might be rescued by bringing them to the United States. The latter idea did occur to Mordecai Manuel Noah, but he viewed his US project as only a temporary shelter, until the Jews could return to Zion. Unfortunately, the idea of Zionism as a refugee salvage operation opens Israel and Zionism to Arab criticism that they are not at fault for the sins of Europe, which cannot be repaired at the expense of the Arabs. Everyone has to decide for themselves if they are a Zionist. If you believe that the Jews are a people, and support the right of the Jews to a national home, and you are willing to stand up for that right when it is challenged, then you can call yourself a Zionist, whether or not you belong to any organized Zionist group or accept any "official" definition, and whether or not you live in Israel or plan to live in Israel - and whether or not you are Jewish. Continuation: See also - A History of Zionism and the Creation of Israel- A detailed history from the Zionist point of view that discusses and addresses some criticisms of Zionism. and Zionist Quotes Israel Boycott? Copying this page Materials on this page, including original materials created by Zionism-Israel.com, are in the public domain. To our knowledge works of others that were cited are in the public domain. If you use or cite this material, please credit http://www.zionism-israel.com Zionism and Israel Please tell us about your favorite links and we will review them for inclusion. Thank you. Sister sites: Zionism Pages Brave Zionism and Zionism and Israel On the Web Zionism - Definition and Brief History - A balanced article that covers the definitions and history of Zionism as well as opposition to Zionism and criticisms by Arabs, Jewish anti-Zionists. Labor Zionism - Early History and Critique - Contribution of Labor Zionism to the creation of the Jewish state, and problems of Labor Zionism in a changing reality. A History of Zionism and the Creation of Israel - A detailed history from the Zionist point of view that discusses and addresses some criticisms of Zionism. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Brief History Advocacy History of Zionism and the Creation of Israel Zion (Hebrew: ציון; Tiberian vocalization: Ṣiyyôn; transliterated Zion or Sion) is a term that most often refers to Jerusalem and, by extension, the Biblical land of Israel. The word is found in texts dating back almost three millennia.[citation needed] In Kabbalah the more esoteric reference is made to Zion[1] being the spiritual point from which reality emerges, located in the Holy of Holies of the First, Second and Third Temple. It commonly referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem (Mount Zion), on which stood a Jebusite fortress of the same name that was conquered by David and was named the City of David. The term Zion came to designate the area of Jerusalem where the fortress stood, and later became a metonym for Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem and generally, the Promised Land to come. According to the Hebrew Bible, God dwells The name Zion appears 154 times in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Some examples from the book of Psalms, which have been frequently recited and memorized by Jews for centuries, state: In the Bible, Mount Hermon - located in the extreme northeast of Israel - is sometimes called Mt. Sion Deuteronomy 4:48. Mount Sion (שיאון) sounds much like Mount Zion (ציון), but the riginal Hebrew spellings are quite different. Today, Mount Zion refers to a hill south of the Old City's Armenian Quarter, not to the Temple Mount. This apparent misidentification dates from the Middle Ages, when Christian pilgrims mistook the relatively large, flat summit (the highest point in ancient Jerusalem) for the originalsite of the Jewish Temple. The Dormition Church (right) is located upon the hill currently called Mount Zion. Some consider the small hill in Jerusalem (whether Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount, or anothe r hill) to be what is meant by the Biblical phrase "Daughter of Zion" — with the location of the actua l tall mountain (as described in the Psalms) remaining mysterious. Another cryptic verse,Zechariah 4:7 , seems to refer to this hill, but is also ambiguous, depending on the punctuation. In Hebrew it reads "Mi attah Har-haGadol lifnei Zerubbabel l'mishor..."; the plain text has no punctuation, but the Masoretic Text puts a pause following Har-haGadol, to mean "Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, [you will become just] a plain..." However, if the pause is placed following Zerubbabel, it would mean instead "What are you, "great mountain" before Zerubbabel? [You are just] a plain..." Since this hill is where Zerubbabel built the Second Temple, it appears to be a reference to the "Daughter of Zion" (the hill), as distinct from Zion (the mountain). However, "Daughter of Zion", and a variety of other names like "Daughter of Jerusalem", might also be interpreted as referring to Jerusalem and the Jewish people personified, instead of a geographical feature. In the New Testament the Daughter of Zion is the bride of Christ, also known as the Church, according to Paul. In this sense the lower hill with the temple mount is of course the Daughter of Zion as a geographical or 'earthly' manifestation of spiritual reality, as well as the lively and alive place of the human congregation. The term "Zionism" was derived from the word Zion, and coined by Austrian Nathan Birnbaum, in his journal Selbstemanzipation (Self Emancipation) in 1890.[2] Zionism as a political movement started in 1897 and supported a 'national home', and later a state, for the Jewishpeople in Palestine. The Zionist movement declared the re-establishment of its State of Israel in 1948, following the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Since then and with varying ideologies and dogma, Zionists have focused on developing and protecting this state. While Zionism is based in part upon Judaic religious tradition linking the Jewish people to the Biblical land of Israel, the modern movement is largely secular. Indeed, until 1967 the Zion of the Bible (the Old City of Jerusalem) was not even within the boundaries of Israel (although Mount Zion itself, was). The Jewish longing for Zion, starting with the deportation and enslavement of Jews during the Babylonian captivity, was adopted as a metaphor by Christian Black slaves in the United States, and after the Civil War by blacks who were still oppressed. Thus, Zion symbolizes a longing by wandering peoples for a safe homeland. This could be an actual place such as Ethiopia for Rastafarians for example. For others, it has taken on a more spiritual meaning—a safe spiritual homeland, like in heaven, or a kind of peace of mind in one's present life. In the Rastafari movement, "Zion" stands for a Utopian place of unity, peace and freedom, as opposed to "Babylon", the oppressing and exploiting system of the western world and a place of evil. For Rastafarians, Zion is to be found in Africa, and more specifically in Ethiopia, where the term is also in use. Some Rastas believe themselves to represent the real Children of Israel in modern times, and their goal is to repatriate to Africa, or to Zion. Rasta reggae is peppered with references to Zion; among the best-known examples are the Bob Marley songs '"Zion Train," "Iron Lion Zion", he Bunny Wailer song "Rastaman" ("The Rasta come from Zion, Rastaman a Lion!"), The Melodians ong "Rivers of Babylon" (based on Psalm 137:1,3,4), the Bad Brains song "Leaving Babylon", the Damian Marley song featuring Nas; "Road to Zion," The Abyssinians' "Forward Unto Zion" and Kiddus I's "Graduation In Zion," which is featured in the 1977 cult roots rock reggae film "Rockers. Reggae groups such as Steel Pulse and Cocoa Tea also have many references to Zion in their various songs. In recent years, such references have also crossed over into pop and rock music thanks to artists like O.A.R. "To Zion Goes I", " Sublime, Lauryn Hill, Boney M. (Rivers of Babylon) , Fluid Minds "Zion",Dreadzone with the reggae-tinged track "Zion Youth.", P.O.D. with song "Set Your Eyes to Zion (but P.O.D with a Christian viewpoint: Zion referring to the spiritual kingdom of God),Trevor Hall with song "To Zion", and Australian roots reggae outfit Vindan and The Zion Band. A similar metaphoric transformation of the term "Zion" occurred in the modern Latter Day Saints movement, originating in the United States in the 1830s. In this interpretation, Zion refers to a specific location to which members of the millennial church are to be gathered together to live. Zion is refernced in several media and entertainment groups. For example in music there are song titles such as Road to Zion, by Damian Marley, Iron Lion Zion by Bob Marley, or theZion David Bowie song). In film, Zion (The Matrix) is a fictional human-controlled underground city in Zion and and Definition of Zionism -
Zionism as we and others define it
A Definition of Zionism:
What is Zionism?
What do you mean by "What do you mean by Zionism?"
What isn't Zionism?
Is Zionism about finding a refuge from Anti-Semitism?
Are You a Zionist?
Definitions of Zionism by Zionist Groups Definitions of Zionism by non-Zionists
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Zion
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Saturday, 29 January 2011
We shall never possess cannons, even if the goyim shall bear arms against one another for ever. Therefore, we cannot but settle in our land fairly and justly, to live and let live. "
(Meir Dizengoff (writing as "Dromi") "The Workers Question," Hatzvi, September 21, 22, 1909)
Biblical usage
Mount Zion Today
Anti-slavery
Rastafari movement
In Latter-day Saint theology
Main article: City of Zion (Mormonism)
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