NationStates Jolt Archive

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Founded in 1897, the Zionist Organization attempts to found a Jewish homeland in the Holy Land of Palestine. While not yet a nation, the Zionist Congress is a political entity that leads the campaign, and the information that follows pertains to the ZC.

Capital: The ZC meets biannually in various cities throughout Europe.
Political Structure: Any Jew who purchases a Zionist shekel is allowed to participate and vote in the congress. While delegations come from all over the world, country of origin is not a major factor in voting, factions are ideologically based, not geographically.
Current President: David Wolffsohn (born in Lithuania, President since 1905)
Executive Offices: Cologne, Germany
Founded: 1897 by Theodor Herzl (Hungrarian), in Basel, Switzerland
Previous President(s): Theodor Herzl (1897-1904)
Next Congress: 1907, in The Hague, Netherlands

Jewish National Fund
As a major organ of the Zionist Organization, the JNF recieves and coordinates donations to the Zionist cause, and uses them to purchase land for Jewish settlers. The Congresses have limited money to be spent on land only in Ottoman Syria and Palestine (including the Transjordan).

Other Major Jewish Movements
Jewish Territorialist Association
While the ZO is the most famous and most powerful Jewish movement of the time, the Jewish Territorialist Association, which broke away from the ZO in 1905, offers an alternative viewpoint. They seek a Jewish homeland as well, though it need not be Palestine. Their separation was a result of the British Uganda Plan, which called for granting 5000 square miles of British East Africa to become a Jewish homeland. When the plan was presented to the Zionist Congress in 1903, there was overwhelming support for investigating the matter. When the investigators reported to the 1905 that the land was dangerous, and the locals would not be friendly to the establishment, the motion was rejected. Some members, led by Israel Zangwill and founded the JTA after this incident.

-Saved for the conditions of the Holy Land

What Motivates Zionists
While the personal motives of Zionists are varied, most are inspired by one or more of the following ideas:
[LIST]
Religion
Religion, a different ideal than nationalism, is nonetheless closely related. Religious Zionists seek not just a Jewish homeland, but usually one that follows Jewish law, and has control over Jewish religious sites. Some seek a full-fledged theocracy, while others merely seek religious influence over public affairs. Most are open to very little compromise on these ideas.
Nationalism
One of the central ideas to the Organization, nationalists seek to reunify the Jewish people under one homeland, as before the diasporas. Most are determined for Palestine, although they are usually more open to compromise than the religious bloc.
Freedom/Safety
While not politically dominant, refugee groups are the largest source of immigrants to Palestine. Most flee the anti-Semitic conditions in Russia, although lately Moroccan and Ethiopian Jews have been forced to flee conflicts in their nations. However, refugees come even from stable Western European nations, where anti-Semitism is still powerful. Most are willing to accept any Jewish homeland, as they are desparate to leave.
Prosperity
Another smaller group, they see a Jewish homeland as a new chance in life, similar to the way the Old West, and before it the New World, inspired thousands to leave their homes. However, Palestine is not very industrialized, and is a very poor area. Thus, some would rather see a different homeland, somewhere more economically stable.


In addition, the ideal methods of acheiving a homeland vary. The most important philosophies are listed below.
Political Zionists
These Zionists, including Theodor Herzl, the late founder of the movement, and David Wolffsohn, are currently the dominant faction. They believe that, if a Jewish homeland is to be achieved, they need a Great Power to support them in establishing the state, so that Jews will be able to immigrate in the large numbers needed to support a Jewish State. They try to work closely with European governments to establish this homeland.
Practical Zionists
The other major bloc, Practical Zionists believe that only with substantial Jewish immigration to Palestine will the Great Powers support the establishment of a Jewish state. While not opposed to consultations with the Powers, Practicalists advocate on the homefront, trying to convince their neighbors to make the journey to Palestine. With the low rate of European and American emigration, their lack of sucess is apparent.
Militant Zionists
A small, radical, and largely unsupported portion of the Zionists feel that a homeland will not be achieved without force, no matter how many Jews decide to move, or how many nations support them. They advocate an attempt to establish a nation the same way the United States did, through a revolution in Palestine.

The 8th Zionist Congress is scheduled to meet in the Hague in 1907. Debate is expected to focus, as it has in most previous Congresses, on the differing aims of practical Zionism (signifigant immigration to Palestine will lead to European endorsement and statehood) and political Zionism (endorsment by European powers will bring about a Jewish state, spurring immigration).

Dear Mr. Herzl,

We of the United League wish to express solidarity with your movement, which we find has similar goals of freedom, liberty, and the ultimate goal of self-strengthening, be it a Jewish homeland or national reform in the case of China.

In particular, I wish to attend your conference, both to observe and to present a plan which may be of interest to your organization. To that end, I enclose enough money to buy a shekel, and attend the conference.

Sun Yat-Sen

David Wolffsohn (Herzl's been dead for 2 years) decides to allow Sun Yat-Sen to attend, an action prompting debate among Zionist leaders. Some fear public support being lost by associating with the Tomengui, others are motivated simply by racial prejudices. However, others applaud the motion, showing that people all over the world, even from areas where the Jewish communties are so small, shows the growing sucess of the movement.

Wolffsohn prepares a tour that will lead directly from his vacation in South Africa to the 1907 Congress. Stops are planned in the United States, United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, and Palestine. A scheduled visit to Morocco is likely to be cancelled due to events beyond Wolffsohn's control, though if the situation cools in time, he will attend.

David Wolffsohn issues a statement on the death of Yat-Sen, issuing his condolences. At the advice of other leaders, he is always kept under guard. However, as they have to deal with the laws of many countries in their travels, they are rarely armed.

In the chilly days of early Spring, hundreds of Jews descend on the Hague to participate in the 8th Zionist Congress. In the days before the Congress, the delegates, coming from most Western nations, and several other nations as well, mingled in the city. While some locals were unhappy about their newfound guests, most were happy for the extra buisness from the delegates. Most, after all were rich, major contributors to the cause. However, some delegations, like those of Russia and Palestine, were nearly penniless.

Most delegates were debating policy already, though Wolffsohn's tour, the assassination of Sun Yat-Sen, the scheduled opening speaker, and the crisises in Africa (both Ethiopian and Moroccan) were frequently discussed.

Buzzing with anticipation, the delegates prepared to enter the conference. What had Wolffsohn gained from his tour? What would he advise the conference to vote on? Rumors about the content of his main speech became a veritable epidemic in the streets of the Hague.

8th Zionist Congress: Opening Day

Hundreds of delegates had arrived, found their seats, and waited for Wolffsohn's introductory speaker. Had he found a replacement for Sun Yat Sen's opening speech? As David Wolffsohn strode onto stage, dressed in an expensive tuxedo, it appeared questions might be answered.

My friends,

You have come from near and far, united by a common cause, the establishment of a land where we can all live together in peace. How have we progressed in the two years since we last met? Our numbers have grown. More Jews now live in Palestine. South Africa and Palestine have both sent chapters here for the first time. This is progress, but it has not accomplished any of our goals.

Have we successfully courted the powerful, do they now side with us? Some support is in theory, but this sympathy does not necessarily translate into action. The discriminatory Acts in Russia, which at first seemed to be relieved, are just as strong as ever. Both of Africa's largest Jewish communities have been engulfed in war. The Moroccan crisis, while not as deadly as we first feared, nonetheless was a trying moment for the communites there. Ethiopia seems to be engulfed in a conflict far worse, and this new war in the Balkans, that has seen the entrance of Austria Hungary, exacerbates the stress on the global Jewish community.

We also have newfound fears. The assassination of Sun Yat Sen, who should have followed me in this speech, shows the threat to those championing the cause of liberty. While the threat is not an equal one, all of us realy do have something to fear in this struggle.

So what have we seen over these two years? Our progress has continued, but it does not adequately correspond to the growth of the threats. Clearly something needs to be done. We want to make a nation, but what do we have to unite us under this nation? We need a banner to rally us, a anthem to stir our hearts, a motto to keep in mind always. What truly unites us? Our faith, fractured and sectarian? Our language? The people in this room speak dozens. Heritage? Our ancestors came from the Holy Land, but we have become distant, and recognize ourselves as British, Austrian, or German, not Israeli. What will the national language of a homeland be? How will Jews of all religious and ethnic stripes work together? How will they work with the other inhabitants? Answer these questions in the coming days.

Just as important as preparing for sucess is preparing for failure. Perhaps the situation will become so dire that we cannot wait for a nation in Palestine. We need a commision to investigate offers, and inform future Congresses of their merits and faults.

With this , I will give the floor to Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan, who will lead us in an opening service

The Religious Zionist Rabbi, a member of the Mizrachi movement, performed the service, although he was obviously less admittant of failure and even willing to compromise with others on the quest for a homeland.

If Sun Yat-Sen's deputy is to give a speech it will be tommorow morning (game time), when the delegates return, but before business begins.

OOC: Ran out of time for this congress, so here's the main results in a quick bullet list.

The following issues were sent to committees, who will investigate possible ideas/solutions and report back to the 1909 Congress:
Prospective Homelands (Investigating offers for Jewish homelands)
National Flag (ideas for the official Zionist flag)
National Anthem (deciding on a Zionist motto/anthem)
National Language (deciding on national language(s))


The following proposal was accepted:

Expressions of sympathy for Jews and other civilians killed in Ethiopia, Morocco, and the Balkans


However, the most important proposal of all was a proposal by a new delegate, Pinhas Rutenberg. As a radical, born in the Ukraine, and with a highly controversial past (helped lead the Bloody Sunday revolt, among other things), he was not popular. However, the Russian exile, now living in Germany, was able to gain significant support through discussions in restaurants and bars while Congress was in reccess.

Rutenberg proposed a public condemnation of the Russian Tsar and his government. Between the horrible legal conditions, and the genocidal pogroms, which, even if not necessarily government sponsored, are at least condoned. Their belligerent attitude in the Balkan War, only standing down under the collective pressure from several nations. They also continue to oppress every attempt at democracy, and kill those who seek freedom.

-Still TB finished-