Movement dedicated to restoring the land of *Israel to the Jewish people. Since the destruction of the *Jerusalem *Temple in 70CE, the desire to return has been preserved in folklore and the *liturgy.
The modern Zionist movement was launched in 1897 at the first Zionist Congress under the leadership of Theodor *Herzl with the stated aim of ‘establishing a home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Although Zionism was seen as a solution to the problem of *Anti-Semitism, many *Orthodox Jews felt *Zion would only be restored in the *messianic era and many *Progressive Jews believed Zionist aspirations would call into question their future in the *diaspora. British support to the Zionist hope was nominally given in the *Balfour Declaration, but it was the *holocaust which finally persuaded the great powers that a Jewish homeland was necessary. After the foundation of the State of Israel, Zionist organisations have concentrated on raising money for Israeli projects and encouraging *Jews of the diaspora to make *aliyah.
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