Zionism – Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

Posted By on January 26, 2019

The roots of Zionism stretch back many hundreds of years. In ancient times Jewish people lived in Palestine, a region in the Middle East near the Mediterranean Sea. With such biblical places as Judea and Galilee, this area is considered a holy land by Jews. But Muslims, or followers of Islam, also claim it as holy, as do Christians.

Over time Jewish people migrated to other regions of the world, where they were usually a minority compared to the Christian population. Faced with intolerance, Jewish religious leaders called for followers to resettle their ancestral homeland in Palestine. As the Enlightenment spread through Europe in the 1700s, so did freer ideas about religion. Jews became more accepted.

In the late 1800s things began to change. Jews in Russia, Poland, and other Eastern European countries became victims of fierce persecution, or severe mistreatment, simply because of their religious beliefs. In Austria, anti-Jewish feelings (anti-Semitism) ran particularly strong. There a journalist named Theodor Herzl resolved that the future of Jewish life lay in Palestine. He envisioned an Old-New Landa modern state located in the ancient Jewish homeland. Herzl described Jews and Muslims in Palestine working together to bring about a state where both could live. Under Herzls direction, Zionism became a political movement.

As Zionism gained followers, more and more Jews moved to the Middle East, escaping maltreatment in some European countries. By 1914 about 90,000 Jews lived in Palestine. They settled in the countryside and built cities. They also organized schools and cultural institutions. By 1935 the Jewish population of Palestine numbered 300,000.

In the 1930s Europe was coming under the domination of Adolf Hitler, a powerful German leader who despised Jews and was determined to destroy them. Also intent on taking over Europe, Hitler ordered troops into Poland in 1939, launching World War II.

The Holocaust, Hitlers punishment and mass killing of Jews, turned the tide of world opinion in favor of Zionism. After World War II most nations agreed a Jewish homeland should be set up. On November 29, 1947, the newly founded United Nations proposed that Palestine be divided between Arab Muslims and Jews. The state of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. Zionism had achieved its goal.

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Zionism - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help

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