Zionism Essay examples - 1826 Words

Zionism In the years just after World War II, Zionism (the desire to rebuild a Jewish national presence in the Promised Land) became a popular Jewish cause all around the world. Many Jews who were not practicing Judaism at all with religion became involved with the establishment of the State of Israel. Even today, many years after the successful founding of the State of Israel, there are Jews whose only real tie to Judaism is their belief in Zionism and their support for the State of Israel. They are joined by many Jews who are members of synagogues and support a modern Jewish religious movement, but who also find their prime identity as Jews in the Zionist cause. Broadly speaking, Zionists are proud that a small and struggling state†¦show more content†¦Or they may be agnostics, unsure of whether or not God exists. Among religions, Judaism is somewhat unique in that it makes room for both atheists and agnostics to remain Jewish. It is often pointed out that there is no positive commandment in the Torah requiring a Jew to believe in God. When it comes to belief, the Torah commands that Jews adhere to the laws of the covenant, which means that idolatry (the belief in many gods) is forbidden. But a person can theoretically live an exemplary Jewish life without a belief in God. Moreover, connection with the Jewish people is determined by birth, not by belief. If a person is born a Jew (or converts to Judaism), he or she is identified as a Jew. There is no question about this. Even the most religious Jew accepts birth (or conversion) as the only criteria for membership in the Jewish people. ORTHODOX JUDAISM Religious Jews today disagree on what Judaism is and what it should be. Orthodox Jews claim to hold the true religion of Judaism. In fact, Orthodoxy only began to organize and solidify its beliefs in the nineteenth century, in direct response to the Reform movement. To this day, there is less agreement among Orthodox Jews about what being Orthodox means——especially about how particular laws should be followed——than there is disagreement in any of the other modern movements. So, for example, the State of Israel has two â€Å"â€Å"chief†Ã¢â‚¬  rabbis to serve the Orthodox——one ofShow MoreRelatedZionism and Non Zionists Essays1191 Words   |  5 PagesZionism declares that â€Å"the Jews are more than a purely religious body, they are not only a race but also a nation† (Berkowitz 376). Theodor Herzl, the father of political Zionism, states, â€Å"We are a people- one people.† Both Herzl and Berkowitz have interesting key points about a Jewish State, the Jewish religion in general, and how to solve current issues in the religion. A State is formed by a social contract and is still being created today. Rousseau states, â€Å"The conditions of this contract areRead More Theodor Herzl: Father of Zionism? Essay2269 Words   |  10 PagesTheodor Herzl: Father of Zionism? Theodor Herzl is often referred to today as the Father of Zionism, a man known for his role in the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people. His most famous pamphlet, The Jewish State, inspired thousands of Jewish men and women from across the world, although particularly in Europe, to leave their homes to realize the glory of creating their own homeland in Palestine. While Herzl was originally a believer in the gradual assimilation of German and AustrianRead MoreThe Influence Of Zionism On The Creation Of A Jewish State861 Words   |  4 Pagesthe late 19th and early 20th century an idea began to gain solidarity and momentum, that of Zionism. The idea of Zionism, to create a Jewish state, is arguably one of modern society’s most polarizing and influential movements. Zionism has influenced political, religious, and social groups in a variety of ways that culminated in the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.(Cohen, week 10) The term Zionism, as it is understood today, began to be used significantly by the political activist Herzl.Read MoreThe Clash Of Zionism And Arab Nationalism Essay1846 Words   |  8 Pages Introduction to Middle East Politics Midterm Essay Minahil Tauseef Clash of Nationalisms The clash of Zionism and Arab nationalism has led to the longest running conflict in the history of the world that shapes the politics of the Middle East to this day. The roots of the modern Arab–Israeli conflict can be found in the rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism towards the end of the 19th century. The source of the conflict is territorial claims over a small piece of land that is the historical homelandRead MoreZionism and the Impact of World War One on the Middle East1534 Words   |  6 Pagesnationalist movement of Zionism emerged out of the Jewish people’s need for a national state of their own. This idea harkens back to the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel after the Exodus. The Holy Land and all of its historic prestige persisted in Jewish culture as they spread throughout the Diaspora for 2000 years. Restrictions and persecution followed the Jewish people as they were met with prejudice throughout Eastern and Western Europe. Organized political Zionism grew from tsarist RussiaRead MoreA Brief Note On The Arab Israeli War1203 Words   |  5 PagesArab-Israeli war the victor was Israel. During this essay the following will be discussed: Zionism, Arab nationalism, and British foreign policy these I believe are the three key causes of the 1948 war. The reason for choosing not just one of these factors to blame is that it was a combination of the three, which has made the Middle East such a hot spot even till now. During the nineteenth century Zionism and Arab nationalism had been rising up with goals of achieving self-determination and emancipationRead MoreIsrael s International Affairs : A Major Issue Of Social Inequality1149 Words   |  5 Pagespoverty line, and ultimately provide a more equal society in which folks that grow up impoverished are not trapped. Question 1. Discuss how the main ideological branches of Zionism (Labor, Revisionist, and Religious) affected the cleavages that we currently observe in the Israeli society. Choose one ideological branch of Zionism and show how it shaped and affected a certain cleavage. If you wish, you can discuss two cleavages, but no more than that. There have been two main cleavages throughout historyRead MoreThe For The International Baccalaureate Diploma1926 Words   |  8 Pagesrate is higher.The topic that I have chosen is Zionism, a movement for the re-establishment and the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel. Zionism is an unfamiliar topic for many people and the limited crowd that is well-informed, is informed from solely through one perspective. One of my goals with this assignment is to broaden my perception on global issues, such as Zionism. My perspective personally is against Zionism. Thus, I tried to choose scholars that take theRead MoreThe Rise Of Zionism And Arab Nationalism1407 Words   |  6 PagesThe rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism in the nineteenth century triggered major political tensions in the region of Palestine. The conflict among the Zionists and Arab Nationalists is primarily due to the politics of territory and is essentially not comprised of religious opposi tion. In fact, before the advent of Zionism and Arab Nationalism, Jews and Palestinians shared a local identity due to mutual tolerances. This identity, which took precedence over religion, created a vivacious communityRead MoreEssay about Nationalist Ideas in the Middle East1484 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Arabs through the revival of Arab thought, while much of the Zionism nationalist ideal is that of establishing a homeland and fleeing anti-Semitism. Both nationalist ideals are similar in that they find nationalism through their history. â€Å"Nationalism, in truth, is the spiritual and historical bond between members of a nation, whom history has stamped in a special manner and has not isolated from the rest of humanity.†2 â€Å"Zionism: the Vision of an Eventual Jewish State† written by Theodor Herzl