2025-06-14 22:49 <br/> Tags: #EarlyZionism #people #KeyPeople ![[image 2.png|298x372]] # Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) - Hungarian Jew and the founder of political Zionism. Herzl founded the [[World Zionist Organization]] in 1897. - Herzl viewed antisemitism in Europe (ex. Dreyfus Affair) being too great a threat to the Jewish people, thus a Jewish independent state was needed. - European antisemitism was viewed as a constant unchangeable factor affecting the souls of the people. - He published his magnum opus in 1896 in the pamphlet *Der Judenstaat* 'The Jewish State.' The work was initially intended as a speech for the Jewish Rothschild Banking dynasty. - Herzl is celebrated in Israel to this day with a national holiday dedicated to him. The Israeli national cemetery is located on Mount Herzl in dedication as well. #### Worthwhile Reading Against Our Better Judgement - Alison Weir Jabotinsky - Hillel Halkin (chapter 1) #### References - **“Theodor Herzl,”** _Wikipedia_, last modified **14 August 2025**, 09:08 UTC, accessed **14 June 2025**, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Herzl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Herzl). - Weir, Alison. _Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel_. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014.