First Zionist Congress
The First Zionist Congress (
The conference was covered by the international press, making a significant impression.[4]
History
The first Zionist Congress was convened by
Delegates
Herzl acted as chairperson of the Congress, which was attended by some 200 participants from seventeen countries, 69 of whom were delegates from various Zionist societies, and the remainder were individual invitees.[2] Seventeen women attended the Congress, some of them in their own capacity, others accompanying representatives.[2] While women participated in the First Zionist Congress, they did not have voting rights; they were accorded full membership rights at the Second Zionist Congress, the following year.[2]
Over half the delegates were from Eastern Europe, with nearly a quarter coming from Russia.[4][10]
Herzl was elected President of the Congress, with Max Nordau, Abraham Salz and Samuel Pineles elected first, second and third Vice Presidents respectively.[11][12]
Agenda
Following a festive opening in which the representatives arrived in
According to the 200-page Official Protocol, the three-day conference included the following events:
Day 1: Sunday 29 August
- Karpel Lippe, Jassy delegate, opening speech
- Theodor Herzl, speech
- Max Nordau, Paris delegate, speech
- Abraham Salz, speech
- Jacob de Haas, speech
- Jacques Bahar, speech
- Samuel Pineles, Galați delegate, speech
- Alexander Mintz, Vienna delegate, speech
- Mayer Ebner, speech
- Dr. Rudolf Schauer, Bingen am Rhein delegate, speech
- Professor Gregor Belkovsky, Sofia delegate, speech
- Blajdelegate, speech
- Adam Rosenberg, New York delegate, speech
- Nathan Birnbaum, Vienna delegate, speech
- David Farbstein, Zurich delegate, speech
Day 2: Monday 30 August
- The President, and moderated discussion
- Dr. Max Bodenheimer, Cologne delegate, speech
- Group discussion
- Jacob Bernstein-Kohan, speech
- M. Moses, speech
Day 3: Tuesday 31 August
- Dr. Kaminka, speech
- Adam Rosenberg, speech
- Mordecai Ehrenpreis, speech
- Group discussion
First Zionist Executive
The "Zionist Executive" elected by the First Congress consisted of:[12][13]
- Vienna (5): Theodor Herzl, Moses Schnirer, Oser Kokesch, Johann Kremenezky and Alexander Mintz (the latter in place of Nathan Birmbaum)[13]
- Austria (other than Galicia and Bukovina) (1): Dr. Sigmund Kornfeld
- Galicia (2): Abraham Salz, Abraham Adolf Korkis
- Bukovina (1): Mayer Ebner
- Russia (4): Rabbi Jacob Bernstein-Kohan, Isidor Jasinowski
- France (2): Bernard Lazare, Jacques Bahar
- Romania (2): Karl Lippe, Samuel Pineles
- Bulgaria and Serbia (1): Prof. Gregor Belkovsky
- Germany (2): Rabbi Isaac Rülf, Max Bodenheimer
In addition, it was agreed that one representative was to be appointed for each of Britain, America and Palestine.[14] This was proposed to take place later at publicly convened assemblies.[14]
Basel Program
On the second day of its deliberations (August 30), the version submitted to the Congress by a committee under the
The program, which came to be known as the Basel Program, set out the goals of the Zionist movement. It was adopted on the following terms:
Zionism seeks to establish a home in Palestine for the Jewish people, secured under public law.[16]
To achieve this goal, the Congress envisages the following means:
1. The expedient promotion of the settlement of Jewish agriculturists, artisans, and businessmen in Palestine.
2. The organization and bringing together of all Jews through local and general events, according to the laws of the various countries.
3. The strengthening of Jewish feeling and national consciousness.
4. Preparatory steps for obtaining the governmental approval which is necessary to the achievement of the Zionist purpose.
According to Israel Zangwill it was Max Nordau who came up with the phrase "home secured by public law" to avoid antagonising the Sultan "too deeply".[17]
Results
The First Zionist Congress resulted in the following:
- The formulation of the Zionist platform, (the Basel program, above)
- The foundation of the Zionist Organization
- The adoption of Hatikvah as its anthem
- The absorption of most of the previous Hovevei Zionsocieties
- The suggestion for the establishment of a people's bank, and
- The election of Herzl as President of the Zionist Organization and Max Nordau one of three vice-presidents.
Theodor Herzl wrote in his diary (September 3, 1897):[18]
Were I to sum up the Basel Congress in a word - which I shall guard against pronouncing publicly - it would be this: At Basel I founded the
Jewish State.[3]If I said this out loud today l would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years perhaps, and certainly in fifty years, everyone will perceive it.— Theodor Herzl (1897)
Subsequent congresses founded various institutions for the promotion of this program, notably a people's bank known as the
The Zionist Commission was an informal group established by
The Zionist Congress met every year between 1897 and 1901, then except for war years, every second year (1903–1913, 1921–1939). In 1942, an "
Gallery
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A participant card from the event.
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The symbol of the First Congress.
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The flag of the First Zionist Congress
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Max Bodenheimer's (top left) and Herzl's (top right) 1897 drafts of the Zionist flag, compared to the final version used at the congress
See also
- Types of Zionism
- World Zionist Congress
- Zionist Organization, renamed World Zionist Organization in 1960
- Zionism
References
- ISBN 978-0-87668-890-8
- ^ a b c d e f g h "First Zionist Congress & Basel Program (1897)". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
- ^ a b c d e Nili Kadary, Herzl and the Zionist Movement: From Basle to Uganda - Background Text, JAFI, 2002
- ^ ISBN 978-0-520-90914-4.
- ^ Nahum Goldmann, The Jewish Paradox, translated by Steven Cox (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1978), p. 77. "When Zionism first appeared on the world scene most Jews opposed it and scoffed at it. Herzl was only supported by a small minority."
- ^ Edward C. Corrigan, Jewish Criticism of Zionism Archived 2010-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, Middle East Policy Council, Journal, Winter 1990-91, Number 35. "Prior to World War II the majority of Jews were non-Zionist, and a large number were openly hostile to Zionism. ...It was not until the full horror of the Holocaust was realized that the great bulk of the Jewish community came to support Zionism."
- ^ JAFI summarizes objections as follows:
- 1.Part of ultra-orthodox Jewry, who viewed Zionism as heresy against the principles of the Jewish religion;
- 2. A section of the Jewish intelligentsia, who considered Herzl to be a false Messiah, and his movement - a danger to the Emancipation for which they were striving;
- 3. Well-established, wealthy Jews, who feared for the fate of their businesses and capital should society's attitude to the Jews in general deteriorate.
- 4. The social-democratic movement in general, and the "Bund" - the Jewish Labor Movement - in particular. The latter claimed that Zionism could not hope to resolve the Jewish problem and would only serve to harm the status of Jewish laborers and sabotage its own recognition as an independent class.
- ISBN 978-1-4422-5467-1– via Google Books.
- ^ Barbour, Nevill Nisi Dominus - A Survey of the Palestine Controversy. First published 1946. The Institute for Palestine Studies, Beirut 1969. Reprint series No. 3. p.48
- ^ Tuly Weisz, Unto The Nations: Herzl’s Christian Guests at The First Zionist Congress , The Jerusalem Post
- ^ Jubilee Publication 1947, p. 66.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4212-2861-7.
- ^ a b Jubilee Publication 1947, p. 79.
- ^ a b Jubilee Publication 1947, p. 80.
- ^ Zionisten-Congress in Basel, Officielles Protocoll, 1898, pp114–119.
- ^ "Der Zionismus erstrebt für das jüdische Volk die Schaffung einer öffentlich-rechtlich gesicherten Heimstätte in Palästina." The original proposal had "rechtlich" rather than "öffentlich-rechtlich" but was altered during the Congress.
- ^ Barbour, Nevill Nisi Dominus - A Survey of the Palestine Controversy. First published 1946. The Institute for Palestine Studies, Beirut 1969. Reprint series No. 3. p.47 footnote
- ^ This second part of the sentence, with the reference to the 50 years, can be found at Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish Zionist Education > Compelling Content > Israel and Zionism > The First 120 Years > Chapter Two: The Seven Years of Herzl Archived 2013-05-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "JEWISH COLONIAL TRUST, THE (Jüdische Colonialbank) - JewishEncyclopedia.com". www.jewishencyclopedia.com.
- ^ Caplan, Neil. Palestine Jewry and the Arab Question, 1917 - 1925. London and Totowa, NJ: F. Cass, 1978.
- ^ a b American Jewish Year Book Vol. 45 (1943-1944) Pro-Palestine and Zionist Activities, pp 206-214 Archived 2019-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Michael Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy, Decision at Biltmore, pp 442-445
Bibliography
- Jubilee Publication (1947). The Jubilee of the first Zionist Congress, 1897-1947. Jerusalem: Executive of the Zionist Organisation. pp. 108 pages, 2 leaves of platesPublished simultaneously in Hebrew, French, Spanish and Yiddish
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: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - The Jewish Encyclopedia: Basel Program