Era II: 1898 to 1948

From 1898 to 1948, Zionism evolved from an idea to a concrete reality: the actual establishment of the Jewish state, Israel. When Herzl wrote his idea for The Jewish State, Jews had little political power, and almost no financial resources with which to bring the Zionist idea to fruition. Jews had remained steadfast in their communal commitment to preserve their identity. They also had experience in lobbying others to achieve political and economic objectives. Whether or not Zionists achieved permission or protection from a country or leader, Jews continued to immigrate to Palestine. Slowly, they created facts by linking people to the land. For the next half century, fortuity and fortitude made the Zionist undertaking a reality. Several interconnected reasons explain Zionist success in creating a state; each was necessary for the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state.

The most significant reasons were:

1. Foresight, pragmatism, and improvisation of Zionist leaders
2. The manner in which Eretz Yisrael (later termed Palestine) was governed during the Ottoman, and later British mandatory times
3. The socio-economic demography and political behavior of the Arab population in Palestine, and that of Arab leaders in neighboring states
4. Events outside of Palestine that catalyzed the state’s establishment