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Essay on The Beginnings of Zionism as a Movement
The assessment of Zionism with European nationalism does not yield ready results, since there is no one model for nationalism by which Zionism can be tested. Nor has there been one idea of Zionism accepted by all in the course of its history. For some it was primarily political, for others cultural, social, or religious. Nevertheless, the questions raised and considered through the comparative approach can be useful. A common form of comparison resembles a stock-taking operation. Is the Zionist claim based on common territory, language, and descent, like the movements of the Czechs or Hungarians, for example? Answers vary.( Shmuel Almog,(1987)) Some say there is a myth of common descent from the ancient Hebrews, there is a homeland, Palestine (generally known to be the land where Jewish national identity was formed), and there is a common language, Hebrew, the language of the bible, which has been preserved as the language of religion and prayer.
It is further claimed that these three elements fulfill the same role as in other national movements.( David Vital, (1980)) Against such claims, some find it easy to emphasize the fact of the dispersion of Jews all over the world, the variety of languages and cultures in which Jews live and function, and the visible ethnic differences between the various dispersions.
All these would lead to the conclusion that Zionism differed profoundly from the "normal" national movements characterized by a recurring pattern: an ethnic group, recognized as such and bound to a place and to a local language or dialect, at some point demands for itself the political right of national self rule. The debate on whether Zionism fits the pattern is not resolved. (Shmuel Almog,(1987)) Another example of commonly asked questions is whether the ideology of Zionism revealed the recurring combination of a wish for modernization with a romantic yearning for reviving the past......
