Herzl Research Paper

Herzl and the Founding of a Jewish State

The idea of an independent Jewish state is not a new concept. In the Tanakh, the Jewish cannon, God promises to Abraham that he will “…Make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”1 This was no empty promise from God. Abraham journeyed through the land of Canaan until he arrived at Shechem where God blessed the land of to Abraham’s children, “ To your offspring I will give this land.”2 The idea of an independent Jewish State is not one that was simply devised before the independence of Israel in 1949, but
In 1897, Herzl founded the World Zionist Organization, in which he was president. This was another attempt to gain political backing for political Zionism. The years that followed would be a rough ride for Herzl. With his health failing he had still not brought to fruition an independent Jewish State. He had suggested, with the help of British parliament, that a temporary solution was in the works. Britain had granted the Jewish State land in the British Colony of Uganda. This brought some problems in the Zionist community as Israel, the land they were promised, would be the Jews only destination, they would not settle for anything less than a Jewish state in
Following the Second World War the Jewish community was in fierce conflict with Britain. Jews were fighting for a new life outside of Europe to escape the horrors of the holocaust and its affect on the Jewish community. This would lead to a declaration of independence of Israel from Palestine and sparked the Arab-Israeli conflict due to unrecognized independence and no compromise between the Arabs inhabiting the land of Israel and the chosen people of God. Israel would be accepted into the League of Nations on May 11th, 1949, further instilling the country as the Independent Jewish State long ago promised to them by God.12 Herzl’s ideas on political Zionism lead to the formation of modern day Israel, an important factor in the preservation of the way of life of the Jewish people. Many introduce Theodor Herzl as the founder of the State of Israel for his political ideology lead to its