A Brief History of Zionism
Zion is the name of a hill in ancient Jerusalem. The Jewish nationalist movement coined the term Zionism in the 1890s. Zionism got the big power backing it was looking for when Britain issued the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917. Arthur James Balfour, the British foreign secretary stated: “His Majesty’s Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” This declaration became the major legal cornerstone for Zionist claims to Palestine. Two issues complicated things. At the time, 90% of Palestine’s population was Arab Muslim and Christian, and only 10% Jewish. And the British were signing away land that was not theirs.
Recorded at NYU.
Speaker
Zachary Lockman
Zachary Lockman is a professor of Middle Eastern Studies and History at New York University. He is the author of Comrades and Enemies: Arab and Jewish Workers in Palestine, 1906-1948 and Contending Visions of the Middle East: The History and Politics of Orientalism. He is a contributing editor to the Middle East Report.
From Richard in CO –
I heard Zachary Lockman’s excellent talk, quite informative.
Wynd –
Excellent presentation by an outstanding educator.
Max Byrd –
Excellent, clearly stated summary by Zachary Lochman. I would have enjoyed more summary data describing how or why Jews link their currently preferred land location for Israel and ancient locations. Additional data about the view of Israel including lands of Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, etc helps to introduce future risks of indeterminate, unending expansion of an Israeli state as may be feared by Arab, and Iranian populations.