Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers URL: www.scjfaq.org/faq/14-04.html

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Question 14.4:
Are all Jews Zionists?

Jews are Zionists in the sense that the restoration of the Jewish people in its homeland is a fundamental tenet of Judaism. Most Jews support the state of Israel--the basic realization of Zionism. Some Jews, however, do not accept Zionism as a political movement, but believe that independence will only come with the advent of the Messiah. There are still other Jews who feel that the question of an independent Jewish state is independent of the question of the Messiah. Lastly, some Jews do not support Zionism for historical reasons.

Zionism developed into an organized political movement, in a period marked by growing recognition of national movements in Europe, when Jews felt the time was ready for the reassertion of Jewish National Identity.

As a movement, it was further spurred by growing antisemitism in Europe in the latter part of the 19th century, as groups of Jews emigrated to what became Israel. It was formally organized into a national movement in 1897, with the call for the restoration of the Jewish national home.

The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.

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