Our Challenge:
The Zionist Mission
This is the speech of Haim Hayet, Head of the World Zionist Organization Department for Hagshama, during his appearance at the Young Zionist Leadership Conference of January 2005, held in Miami, Florida.
Herzl was 37 years old when he began his Zionist journey, a mission that revolutionized the modern history of the Jewish people and which lasted for only seven years, he died at the age of 44.
This young journalist, who was born in the city of Budapest and grew-up in Vienna, another of the capitals of the Austro-Húngarian Empire,”absorbed” all the social, political, and universal ideas of the end of the 19th century Europe: the rising of the different nationalities and the creation of the nation -states, the secularization and the emancipation that brought a lot of hope to the Jews who left the "shtetels" to become equals among the others. Later on, during his journalist work in Paris Herzl realized that in spite of the personal merits of the Jews they were not accepted as equals, in the political, economic, and social spheres, as well as in the processes that occurred in the European context, because of their lack of a geographical identity (just as was indicated by one of the forefathers of Zionism, Moshé Hess, in his introduction to his book: Rome and Jerusalem).
These developments gave rise to his political Zionist vision.
During seven years, he presented his vision in all his works, in his daily writings, novels, essays and speeches: to incorporate the Jewish nation in the body of nations and in the course of the universal history - which, at that time centered around Europe. This state would have its own territory, its national home, and would be a “model state” containing the best of the values of the thousand-year-old Jewish civilization and the universal values of the modern era.
The new State would be democratic, pluralistic and liberal, in which liberty, equality and social justice would prevail. He even suggested having a flag with seven stars, symbolizing a workday of seven hours (and that at a time when the world began the battle for an eight-hour work-day).
The “State of the Jews” would have full control of its destiny, culture and sovereignty but in which”the foreigner would feel at home amongst us".
The model for the “State of the Jews” would be based on all the components and levels of the cultural superstructure, but in which “the rabbis are confined to their synagogues and the military to the barracks, that themselves be not dedicated to politics”.
In his vision, Herzl saw the Jewish masses flowing to the national home led by an elite pulling the train of history towards his model State.
Herzl was not only a visionary and an utopist. This young 37 year old journalist was dedicated until his death to the implementation of his ideas. He created a political instrument: the Zionist Movement. The Congresses, the World Zionist Organization, the National Funds, lay the foundations for the basis of a bank which would not depend on the large Jewish philanthropists of those days.
Herzl, the man with the beard, the “King of the Jews” was received by emperors and rulers in his tireless efforts to obtain a “Jewish National Home”. The home in which his Zionist Movement would bring the Jewish masses, but with a warning: “Political Zionism has not been created to transfer Jews from one place of distress to another, we do not dedicate ourselves to 'smuggle' people”.
Political Zionism and the utopian society in his model state were Theodore (Biniamín Zeev) Herzl's vision. And what is OUR challenge?
I am not going to be arrogant and attempt to set the challenges for all of you.
I will limit myself to present you with my own challenge: the challenge of a Zionist, from Latin-America, who at the end of the '60s made aliyah from Cuba to kibbutz Gaatón in the Galilee, there I carried out my own revolution, my own Hagshamá.
My challenge is to struggle constantly so that the social vision of the model state of Herzl may be carried out. This is what is written in the Jerusalem Program (The foundations of Zionism): "…The strengthening of Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state and shaping it as a exemplary society, with an unique moral and spiritual character, marked on mutual respect for the multifaceted Jewish people, rooted in the vision of the prophets, striving for peace and contributing to the betterment of the world. …”, I believe this vision should not only be words on paper.
My challenge is that the majority of Jews around the world, will come and join us in Israel and be participants in the biggest enterprise of the history of the Jewish people. We have to make sure that they will find peace and solidarity, work, housing, food and clothing (according to the four premises of Zeev Jabotinsky). Furthermore, we need to ensure that the social-economic gap in Israel won't be the biggest in the Western world, after the United States.
It is important that post-modernism and globalization, which were not predicted by Herzl, will not cause a by product of draconian measures of social injustice.
My challenge is to be involved in stopping the bloody conflict between our people and the Palestinian people, in ensuring peace, stopping the violence, the terror and the bloodshed - in order to free us from the occupation and be again “am jofshi beartzenu” (a free people in our land). A nation which conquers another can never enjoy freedom. Anti-Semitism, racism, hate and xenophobia have to disappear from Earth.
My great challenge is to do my best so that conscientious young Zionists everywhere, will realize that it’s their responsibility to redefine the objectives of the Zionist movement for the 21st century. We would like these young adults to achieve their Hagshamá, their ultimate Zionist fulfillment - Aliyah, thus fueling the engine that leads the train of the democratic, Zionist, and Jewish values, in Israel. We must ensure that this train will not be derailed, that young Zionists will ensure its path, so that Herzl’s mission continues: a model State of Israel for all the Jewish people, with equality of rights for all its citizens without discrimination of race, nationality, sex or religion.
These are part of my challenges; you can choose whichever one you like.
To be young is to be sensitive to every injustice, to be involved in what happens around you, in your world, in the entire humanity and particularly among your people.
Be young! Shape the society in which you are meant to live, here, and in the near future, with us, in our Mediná (country).
Redefine, change, rejuvenate, and inspire the Zionist movement, its institutions and its agencies.
Being young is not only a question of biology, it is a question of mentality, of attitude: it means to fight relentlessly for your principles! It is a revolution of solidarity, but above all it is a commitment to participate in the process; an assurance of the continuity of the greatest enterprise of the Jewish people, the fruit of the Zionist vision. A sovereign, democratic state for all the Jewish people and for all its citizens and according to the principles established in the Declaration of Independence: "…The State of Israel will be open to immigration of Jews from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all the inhabitants. Will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace, taught by the Hebrew Prophets of Israel; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of, conscience, worship, education and culture, will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and holy places of all the religions and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations…"
North American Zionist, young adults, the 21st century is yours!!! Shape it! Todá Rabá!
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Israel
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Jewish History
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1860-1948: Early Zionist Age
People
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1948-Today: Modern Zionist Age
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Zionism Revisited
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