Herzl, the Congresses, the Zionist Movement

by Steve Israel

3. In Pursuit of a Goal

A. Questions in a Contemporary Context

• Is there a crisis facing the Jewish people today? If so - define it.
• How has this crisis been confronted -- and by whom?
• Has the Jewish world given us any outstanding leaders in recent years who have resolved major issues on our agenda?

B. Background Text

Herzl is a pheonomenon unparalleled in Jewish History: a man who came out of nowhere, with no record of involvement in Jewish affairs, and who decided to take upon his shoulders responsibility for the future of the entire Jewish People. He knew exactly what he wanted from the outset on this new path: a homeland for the Jewish People. It was a goal he pursued with a fanatic's single-mindedness for the rest of his life. In order to accrue influence rather than operate as an individual, he created -- in the process -- a movement which would stand behind him.

His view was of the Jewish people in deep crisis:

• In the West, an ongoing crisis of identity and lack of acceptance;
• In the East, the major crisis of survival for Jewish masses threatened by immediate physical danger and the constant economic plight of living below the lowest of poverty lines.

A state was an urgent necessity and any tactic which could bring it nearer to achievement was worthy of examination, while any which distanced the goalposts was not. He preferred the solution of Eretz Yisrael and this was the essential focus of the movement as a whole - although not necessarily the constant focus of its digressions, conflicts and his own tactics.

Most of Herzlian Zionism's support came from the Hibbat Zion movement, at least initially. Although prepared to cooperate with Herzl, ideas on how Zionism should be achieved were very different.

Hibbat Zion was a movement formed through local societies who continued to support the gradual settlement activity they had favored over 15 years, working to gradually increase the Jewish presence in the Land to build a stronger community, a more Jewishly populated Land.

Herzl saw this as destructive folly, because it ignored the fact that Eretz Yisrael was part of the Ottoman Empire and a larger Jewish population in that particular part of the Empire would not change the title to the land. Worse still, it risked increasing anger towards the Jews and their plans -- as in any other regime with a growing Jewish population.

Herzl aspired to soveignty: to gain political control over Palestine so that Jews would be able to build their own society. For him, conflicts over settlement activity or any other issue ought to be deferred until soveignty was finalized.

The question was: how to gain this sovereignty?

C. Private Detectives.

You and your staff have been hired by some of the Zionists to find out just what Herzl is up to. He has been a one-man show for long enough and many of the major figures resent taking him on trust or having decisions dictated to them. All these figures respect Herzl, but feel it is time they knew what he is up to.

You have gone through Herzl's wastepaper baskets and clothing for odd notes and doodlings; the notes below are jumbled, some are incomplete. It is time to work the whole story into a coherent whole: from piecing them together, try to establish how Herzl has been spending his time over the past few years and to follow his thoughts on gaining Jewish sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael. Your task is to try and understand the strategy Herzl built towards this end.

When you have the story -- or as far as you get -- write your report for the Zionist movement, outlining your "thesis".

Note: if further clarification is needed, use an atlas or encyclopedia.

	THE key is in Constantinople
	How can pressure be brought upon them?
	The Kaiser of Germany - now his friend; all efforts now towards him.
	May 1901: just heard the Sultan will receive me
	Grand Duke of Baden has ear of Wilhelm II
	Kaiser favorable; seems convinced by idea of getting Jewish socialists off his back
	June 17: I finally met him. Five years since I first ... the Vizier. A real oriental ruler. Hasn't turned me down
	June 16: Constantinople! But only got to the Vizier. Expressed interest in loan
	Autumn usually sad but this year wonderful. Kaiser mentioned offering German sponsorship of project
	They tell me he'll announce it in Jerusalem! I'm to meet him there!!
	The crux of the matter is the Turkish debt. We'll solve that one for them - how can they resist?
	I have a way to Baden
	Selfishness of Rothschild & Co. will wreck the entire project. Why won't they give?
	Another meeting with Abdul Hamid 8 months after the last one
	Still won't give in but definitely interested in loan I can do it if I can only meet him face to face.

Editors: Michael Toben, Dr. Dov Goldflam, 1992
Internet Version: The Pedagogic Center, 1996
Editor: Gila Ansell Brauner

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