To what extent did the Holocaust plat a role in the establishment of the State of Israel?
Six million Jews, mothers, children, fathers, grandparents, murder. The Holocaust, the horrific event that placed an enormous impact on Jewish people, Jewish life, and Jewish identity. Most Jewish survivors, who had survived concentration camps or had been in hiding, were unable or unwilling to return to Eastern Europe because of postwar anti-Semitism and the destruction of their communities during the Holocaust. Many of those who did return feared for their lives. In this state of hopelessness and fear, there was still hope and soon a new Jewish State was created and recognized by the world. The creation of a Jewish State was always a paramount in Zionist …show more content…
The idea of a Jewish State was always something highly desired by the Zionist movement. The Zionist movement for many year strategically when about this topic with the public, avoiding anything that might trigger red flags and jeopardize this plan. For example when speaking about it they avoided specific words or details, they would say that things like “Jewish home” or “Jewish commonwealth”. There were many ways to proceed with making this idea into an actual state. In 1906 Cheim Weizmann, a Zionist activist, had the opportunity to meet Lord Balfour and this was the beginning of the discussion that Palestine should to the Jewish National Home. During World War I, Weizmann's influence and relations with the British government increased, as he lent his talents to producing the solvent acetone (http://www.zionism-israel.com/Balfour_Declaration_1917.htm). After many conversations, negotiations, and promises, on November 2, 1917, the finale draft of the Balfour declaration was issued and it was accepted by the League of Nations on July 24, 1922 and gave Great Britain temporary control over Palestine (http://history1900s.about.com/cs/holocaust/p/balfourdeclare.htm). The contents of the declaration read “His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country”; this was the first step in which the development of a Jewish state came into play.
Six million Jews, mothers, children, fathers, grandparents, murder. The Holocaust, the horrific event that placed an enormous impact on Jewish people, Jewish life, and Jewish identity. Most Jewish survivors, who had survived concentration camps or had been in hiding, were unable or unwilling to return to Eastern Europe because of postwar anti-Semitism and the destruction of their communities during the Holocaust. Many of those who did return feared for their lives. In this state of hopelessness and fear, there was still hope and soon a new Jewish State was created and recognized by the world. The creation of a Jewish State was always a paramount in Zionist …show more content…
The idea of a Jewish State was always something highly desired by the Zionist movement. The Zionist movement for many year strategically when about this topic with the public, avoiding anything that might trigger red flags and jeopardize this plan. For example when speaking about it they avoided specific words or details, they would say that things like “Jewish home” or “Jewish commonwealth”. There were many ways to proceed with making this idea into an actual state. In 1906 Cheim Weizmann, a Zionist activist, had the opportunity to meet Lord Balfour and this was the beginning of the discussion that Palestine should to the Jewish National Home. During World War I, Weizmann's influence and relations with the British government increased, as he lent his talents to producing the solvent acetone (http://www.zionism-israel.com/Balfour_Declaration_1917.htm). After many conversations, negotiations, and promises, on November 2, 1917, the finale draft of the Balfour declaration was issued and it was accepted by the League of Nations on July 24, 1922 and gave Great Britain temporary control over Palestine (http://history1900s.about.com/cs/holocaust/p/balfourdeclare.htm). The contents of the declaration read “His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country”; this was the first step in which the development of a Jewish state came into play.