A History of Zionism
Since October 7th, the term Zionism has been everywhere in the news. It's been used to support Israel in what it calls its war against Hamas: a refrain to remind everyone why Israel exists and why it must be protected. Others have used Zionism to describe what they view as Israel's collective punishment of civilians in Gaza, and its appropriation of Palestinian territories — what they often call "settler colonialism."
Zionism has been defined and redefined again and again, and the definitions are often built on competing historical interpretations. So unsurprisingly, we've received many requests from you, our audience, to explore the origins of Zionism. On today's episode, we go back to the late 19th century to meet the people who organized the modern Zionist movement.
Guests:
Anita Shapira, professor emerita of Jewish history at Tel Aviv University
Derek Penslar, author of the book Zionism, An Emotional State, and Director of Harvard's Center for Jewish Studies
Michael Brenner, a professor at American University and author of In Search of Israel: The History of an Idea
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Correction June 17, 2024
An earlier version of this episode mistakenly stated that the Roman Empire destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70BCE. The correct year is 70CE.
An earlier version of this episode incorrectly described Ze'ev Jabotinsky as a right-wing settler who helped form the paramilitary organization the Irgun. Jabotinsky was a conservative Zionist thinker whose ideas influenced some of the founders of the Irgun. While Jabotinsky did advocate Jewish settlement in Palestine, he himself lived mostly in Europe and died before Israel's founding.