The 125th Anniversary of the Publication of "The Jewish State"

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, one of the most significant works contributing to Jewish self-identification and the establishment of the Jewish state was published—"The Jewish State: An Attempt at a Modern Solution of the Jewish Question" by Binyamin Ze'ev (Theodor) Herzl. Herzl, the herald of the Jewish state, the father of political Zionism, and the founder of the World Zionist Organization, published his work in early 1896. This was a concise treatise calling for the concentration of the Jewish people in their own independent homeland.

In his book, Herzl wrote: "We are a distinctive people, a unique nation. Everywhere we have sincerely endeavored to integrate into the surrounding nations, preserving only the religion of our ancestors, but we have not been permitted to do so. In vain are we loyal and ready for any sacrifice, and in some countries, even excessive patriots; in vain do we sacrifice our blood and fortune alongside our fellow citizens; in vain do we strive to bring glory to our homelands through achievements in the fine arts and sciences; in vain do we labor to increase their wealth through the development of trade and industry—it is all in vain. In our homelands, where we have lived for centuries, we are still regarded as strangers."

According to Herzl, only a full-scale national revival of the Jewish people could resolve the "Jewish question" that occupied a critical place on the public agenda. He also believed that addressing the issue of antisemitism was one of the primary tasks of the Jewish state and the central challenge facing Eastern European Jewry.

Herzl's diaries contain an intriguing mention of the circumstances of his first encounter with intellectual antisemitism—the book by Karl Dühring, "The Jewish Question as a Question of Race, Customs, and Culture." Dühring was no "medieval savage," illiterate, primitive, or deluded; yet he asserted that the integration of Jews into European society was highly detrimental to Europe and demanded the reversal of much of the progress of emancipation. Herzl recorded in his diary: "If a man of such sharp intellect and vast erudition as Dühring could write such things, then what can be expected from the ignorant rabble?"

Herzl essentially came to realize that antisemitism permeated the widest strata of the population, and therefore only the creation of a national Jewish state could resolve this painful problem for the common good, and not only for the benefit of Jews. In his work, he wrote: "I believe that governments, whether voluntarily or under the influence of their antisemites, will pay attention to this project, and perhaps look upon it with favor."

Herzl also gradually recognized the necessity of incorporating Jewish traditions into the state he dreamed of, and his true beliefs at this stage of life became vividly apparent in his opening address at the First Zionist Congress: "Zionism is a return to Judaism even before the return to the Jewish land." This phrase, which biographers and researchers have often overlooked, describes the evolution of Herzl's worldview, at which point he became more Binyamin Ze'ev than Theodor.

Herzl's political Zionism emerged as a Western European phenomenon and gradually integrated national-religious components, laying the foundations for the connection between Jewish civilization and the modern Jewish national movement.

In "The Jewish State," Theodor Herzl analyzes the modern resolution of the Jewish question and the ideological positions he previously held: "Under some prolonged, politically favorable conditions, we might probably have assimilated everywhere," but he ultimately arrives at a negative assessment of his past views: "I think that would not be commendable," thereby acknowledging the unique, distinctive character of the Jewish people.

In his book, Herzl attempted to outline a model for the Jewish state; however, it must be admitted that this model is rather utopian and lacks specificity. It clearly reflects a desire to join the family of nations and break free from the burdens of the past, yet it emphasizes that the aspiration to build a Jewish state must draw strength from the nation's history. It is highly probable that political circumstances dictated this multi-vector stance to Herzl, enabling him to construct a common platform for religious, traditionalist, and secular circles alike.

One may view Herzl as an individual in various ways, but we must acknowledge that the concept of political Zionism he introduced into the political lexicon became a unifying force. Herzl was convinced that "the children of Israel, scattered to the four corners of the earth" and holding diverse ideologies and beliefs, constitute a single nation whose mission is to strive for the restoration of its own statehood.

The idea of political Zionism was already in the air in Europe, but it was Herzl who succeeded in articulating it accessibly and engaging many influential contemporaries in the Zionist movement.

Dr. Haim Ben Yakov