Abstract:

Zionism, the main ideology of the State of Israel, emerged as an intellectual movement and social movement at Zionism is the main ideology of the State of Israel and aimed to move Jews who lived in various regions of the world to Palestinian lands –claiming it to be their ancestral home - to establish a Jewish state there. Emerging as an intellectual trend and social movement at the end of the 19th century, Zionism achieved its goal in 1948. While this development is subjectively related to the conditions in the Christian world, it is objectively related to the internal dynamics of Judaism. The exclusion of Jews by Catholics and Orthodox has prevented them from integrating into society and kept their national consciousness alive. On the other hand, Protestants believed that it was necessary to establish a Jewish state in Palestine for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth and endeavored for this sake since the 17th century, These views and efforts, were fermented among Christians for two centuries, found its expression among the Jews with the concept of Zionism. Although Protestant leaders had a different view of Judaism, second-generation Protestants who embraced the doctrine of Physical Restoration took a pro-Jewish line both theologically and practically. It should not be overlooked that the resettlement of Jews in Palestine was not only a religious issue, but also had a geostrategic dimension. It does not need further explanation to claim that the support of the Protestant states to the idea would provide for th favorable position against the Papacy, and also against the Ottomans, who were advancing into Europe. Based on this theological and practical background, the settlement of Jews in Palestine was of particular importance for Protestants. England especially came to the fore in this context. The issue has not fallen from the agenda of scientific and political circles in England since the 17th century. Considering this chronology, it was claimed that the Jews adopted the idea of Zionism from the Christians. However, although Zionism emerged among Jews theoretically and socially later, in comparison to Christians, its intellectual foundations are found in Jewish scriptures as well as its actual examples in Jewish history. The concept of the chosen people, the idea of the promised land, and the constant emphasis in the liturgy on returning to Jerusalem provide the theological basis for the Zionist goal of establishing a Jewish nation-state in Palestine. These issues fed the desire of settling in Jerusalem in the minds of the Jews. Besides, the history has witnessed Jews’ efforts to establish a Jewish state in Palestine or to create san uch opportunity. The facts such as the idea of being Jesus is the expected Messiah, the Bar Kokhba revlt, attempts before Julian The Apostate and Princess Eudox,ia and provoking the Persians against Byzantium can be given as examples. The fact that Jesus did not invite the Jews to revolt against Rome and did not touon ch the establishment of a Jewish state in his sermons, was one of the most important factors in the rejection of the Jews, who were affiliated with the Roman Empire at that time. The tension in the region did not subside after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. and although the Jewish revolts aiming to conquest Jerusalem back, became invisible after Bar Kohba, the activities for this purpose continued without slowing down. Jews’ lobby activities in the presence of Roman and Byzantine administrators who held the region then were unfruitful but this did not stop them. They ventured to fight for the solution to the problem and sided with the Persians, the rivals of the Byzantine Empire, eventually achieved their goals for a short time by capturing Jerusalem in 614. Further, after the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 638 Jews settled there and continued to come in the following centuries. The fact that the Jews came here immediately, indicates that they took advantage of every opportunity. However, although Jews gained permission to settle in Jerusalem and other cities, the false Messianic uprisings during the Seljukid and Ottoman times show that living here was not enough for them. They never gave up their dream of establishing a Jewish state in Jerusalem and building the holy temple, but remained silent because they could not realize it. The appropriate ground in Europe created by the conditionsthe in 19th century offered the Jews the opportunity to theorize this theoretical and practical legacy in the form of Zionism. The Jews, whose national consciousness was alive due to continuous Christian Antisemitism, succeeded in adapting the relevant elements in Jewish history and theology to the language of the age. The idea of the nation-state was considered relevant with the ideas of the promised land and Jewish chosenness.

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