IRL 19, April 27, 2010.

URL; http://www.adl.org/durban/zionism.asp

This is an article from the Anti-Defamation League, designed to "stop the defamation of the Jewish people ... to secure justice and fair treatment for all." This article is explaining Zionism, which is one of the aspects being acknowledged in my IA, in the process of determining to what extent Israel is a product of British involvement in the Middle East. Zionists, who are Jewish nationalists, were also one of the groups that contributed to Israel's development and establishment, so this serves as a background for me as to what Zionism really is, and when it became prominent.

It is described here as the Jewish national movement of rebirth and renewal in Israel, the birthplace of the Jewish people. Ever since the Jews were expelled from this land, the desire to return has been a key part of Jewish literature, prayer, ritual, and culture. Zionism emerged to prominence in the late 1800s as a result of anti-Semitism in Western Europe and persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe, and the "father" of modern Zionism was Theodor Herzl, an Austrian journalist who advocated for a Jewish state and homeland. Today, Zionism is a guiding national movement among many Jews, and some believe it is responsible for their determination to remain in Israel despite opposition among many.

The value of this information is that it shows me that in part, the establishment of Israel is in part due to intense Jewish nationalism, and the fact that the Jews have managed to fight opposition and remain established there for these turbulent 60 or so years shows me that they are a very proud and determined people, due to their desire to maintain their culture and establish a homeland for themselves once again. Zionism had been brought up in class and in my reading for my IA, but this clarifies for me what it actually means to the Jewish people.