Editing Zionism (section)

=== Historical and religious background ===
{{See also|Jewish history|History of Israel|History of Palestine|History of the Jews and Judaism in the Land of Israel|Jewish peoplehood}}

The transformation of a religious and primarily passive connection between Jews and Palestine into an active, secular, nationalist movement arose in the context of ideological developments within modern European nations in the 19th century. The [[Return to Zion|concept of the "return"]] remained a powerful symbol within religious Jewish belief, emphasizing that their return should be determined by Divine Providence rather than human action.{{sfn|Avineri|2017}} The religious Judaic notion of being a nation was distinct from the modern European notion of nationalism.{{sfn|Shimoni|1995}} Ultra-Orthodox and [[Reform Judaism|Reform]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zionism |url=https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15268-zionism |access-date=March 10, 2023 |website=www.jewishencyclopedia.com |archive-date=March 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310045630/https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15268-zionism |url-status=live}}</ref> Some Jewish groups and authorities opposed collective Jewish settlement in Palestine.{{efn|"The Talmud does take up the right of individuals to settle in Israel, but there is a consensus against collective settlement.", "Several rabbinical sources through the centuries have interpreted these oaths to assert that even if all the nations were to encourage the Jews to settle in the Land of Israel, it would still be necessary to abstain from doing so, for fear of committing yet other sins and of being punished by an exile even cruder still." " Traditional Jewish culture discourages political and military activism of any variety, particularly in the Land of Israel... In the traditional view, settlement in the Land of Israel will be brought, about by the universal effect of good deeds rather than by military force or diplomacy... The Talmud (BT Ketubot, 111a) relates the three oaths sworn on the eve of the dispersal of what remained of the people of Israel to the four corners of the earth: not to return en masse and in an organized fashion to the Land of Israel; not to rebel against the nations; and that the nations do not subjugate Israel exceedingly... The idea of return to the Land of Israel achieved by political means is alien to the idea of salvation in Jewish tradition."{{harvnb|Rabkin|2006}}}} Ultra-orthodox Jews viewed it as a violation of the three oaths sworn to God: not to force their way into the homeland, not to hasten the [[Eschatology|end times]], and not to [[Judaism and peace|rebel against other nations]]. They believed that any attempt to achieve redemption through human actions, rather than divine intervention and the coming of the [[Messiah]], constituted a rebellion against divine will and a dangerous heresy.{{efn|"To ultra-Orthodox Jews, on the other hand, the idea of Jews returning to their homeland flew in the face of the fate decreed for them. To them such an act ran counter to the three oaths the Jewish people swore to the Almighty: not to storm the wall, not to rush the End, and not to rebel against the nations of the world, while the Almighty adjured the nations of the world not to destroy the Jewish people. They saw an attempt to bring about redemption by natural, man-made means as rebelling against divine decrees, as Jews taking their fate into their own hands and not waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Consequently ultra-Orthodox Jews vehemently opposed this perilous heresy" {{harvnb|Shapira|2014|p=5}}}}

The cultural memory of Jews in the diaspora revered the Land of Israel. Religious tradition held that a future [[Messianic Age#Judaism|messianic age]] would usher in their return as a people,{{sfn|Taylor|1971|pp=10, 11}} a 'return to Zion' commemorated particularly at [[Passover]] and in [[Yom Kippur]] prayers.{{efn|In late medieval times, there arose among the [[Ashkenazi]] an augury—"[[L'Shana Haba'ah|Next year in Jerusalem]]—that was then included in the thrice-daily [[Amidah]] (Standing prayer).<ref>"Sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles and gather us together from the four corners of the earth (Isaiah 11:12) Blessed are you, O Lord, Who gathers in the dispersed of His people Israel."</ref>}} The biblical prophecy of [[Gathering of Israel|''Kibbutz Galuyot'']], the ingathering of exiles in the Land of Israel as foretold by the [[Nevi'im|Prophets]], became a central idea in Zionism.<ref>{{harvnb|Halamish|2008|p=}}: "A number of factors motivated Israel's open immigration policy. First of all, open immigration—the ingathering of the exiles in the historic Jewish homeland—had always been a central component of Zionist ideology and constituted the raison d'etre of the State of Israel. The ingathering of the exiles (kibbutz galuyot) was nurtured by the government and other agents as a national ethos, the consensual and prime focus that united Jewish Israeli society after the War of Independence"}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Shohat|2003|p=}}: "Central to Zionist thinking was the concept of Kibbutz Galuiot—the "ingathering of the exiles". Following two millennia of homelessness and living presumably "outside of history", Jews could once again "enter history" as subjects, as "normal" actors on the world stage by returning to their ancient birth place, Eretz Israel"</ref>{{sfn|Russell|Gordon|America|1917}}