Zionist, the group of people this image above is referring to, are a group of people who supported the re-establishment of the Jewish state of Israel after World War II. This movement was a result of a quest for rehabilitation and a new protected life for the Jewish people after the Holocaust. Many often discuss the true motivation behind the creation of this state and how this movement prevailed with the political gerrymandering of the Middle East. However, the motivation to establish the Jewish state was already present before the war just as the Nazi regime was elected in Germany and this movement had the backing of larger international powers. Although this was true before the war , a more cohesive Jewish population after the war was motivated to reform the state of Israel.
As the Nazi regime started to increase in power in the 1930’s, so did a more politically backed, overt anti-Jewish sentiment. Hitler rose to prominence on the ideal that the Jewish population had no right assimilate to German culture and had no place in the German state. While under partnership with Britain in the Middle East , the German government was orchestrating the Jewish movement to Palestine. Some sources even note that the Holocaust was motivated by the lack of participation from the Jews to leave. A contemporary Hapoel Hatseir described “the Nazi persecution of the Jews as ‘punishment’ for their having tried to integrate into German society instead of leaving for Palestine”(Segev 18). It was obvious the Jews were not safe there, even though they considered Germany home, for over 17 million Germans voted for the Nazi .
After World War II , the Zionist movement was evidence that the Jews were more motivated for a new life in the new protected state of Israel. This was a completely different world than they knew before the War. At the very least , the Jewish people owned businesses and had jobs, however after millions of persecutions and the complete destruction of their livelihood, there was a massive shift in their idea of Palestine. After the Holocaust, many of the youth were without parental guidance and had to the make choice to restart their lives. Even with U.S. and U.S.S.R. occupation in Germany, liberation did not offer the sense of rescue but often left the newly liberated Jews with ruined expectations. The actual demographic of the population added to this desire to settle in Palestine. The majority of Zionist were in their youth and were often skilled workers which was suggested through their survival of the Holocaust. These demographics and the quest for a renewed livelihood with people just like them created a new motivation rooted more in Jewish motivations rather than overarching international political motivations.
Although there were international powers playing the overarching role in this movement, the shift from the Jewish reluctance to leave their homeland to the Jewish desire to reform their historic homeland was evident after the tragedies taken place during the Holocaust. The reluctance was most likely because the Jews did have a livelihood as the Nazi regime increased in power. However, during the Nazi regime’s prominence, the Jewish livelihood was completely crushed and they had no choice but to leave.
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https://israelforever.org/interact/blog/today_i_am_proud_to_call_myself_a_zionist/
The fact that some people wanted to justify the persecution of the Jews in Europe during WWII using the fact that they tried to assimilate themselves into European society when they should have been going back to Palestine is ridiculous.
I also feel that the very idea that the Holocaust was because of Jews trying to become German is just a way of propaganda for the creation of Israel from the Zionist perspective. For all the people who died who were not Jewish, it is almost a slap in the face.
I disagree with the statement that ” This movement was a result of a quest for rehabilitation and a new protected life for the Jewish people after the Holocaust.” If I’m not mistaken it was Segev that stated that the Zionist started before WWII but took of because of the Holocaust.
I agree with you when talking about how Jewish peoples motivation to have a new way of life after the Holocaust increased. I think that the zionist movement provide a since of identity and nationalist feeling without the creating of a nation-state yet.