Zionism
We want to take this
blog post to discuss Zionism in the Ottoman Empire. Zionism, within its
historical context, generally refers to people who support the creation of a
Jewish state of what is now known as Israel. The term in the modern era has
become affiliated with being for or against Jewish individuals; however, from a
historical and practical aspect, we will only be discussing the debate
surrounding the creation of a Jewish state. We want delegates to have an
understanding of how critical this issue was, why it was a critical issue, and
how it might manifest in the committee.
Delegates should first
consider that the Ottoman Empire encompassed most of the area with which is now
Israel and Palestine, so when actions such as the Balfour Declaration are discussed,
understand that this means the British wanted to take land away from the
Ottoman Empire and redistribute it to the Jewish population. Further, delegates
should have an understanding of the demographics within the Ottoman Empire. The
empire was largely majority Muslim. Which is why for most of the 19th century
the Ottoman Empire was running pan-Islamic policies throughout, as started by
Abdul Hamid II, in an attempt to better unify the empire. Even the Young Turk
Revolution, which was seen as a more “progressive movement” was also anti-Zionist.
This is due to a mixture of internal demographic pressures, uncertainty about
whether European influence would extend from a Jewish state, and not wanting to
lose land within the empire. It wouldn’t be until the Balfour Declaration that
any concessions were made related to Zionism. Further, due to the serious
economic downturn coupled with constant war, many Zionist ideals got linked to
socialist ideals. The Jewish homeland became a place where poor Jewish
populations could restart themselves and create a better society. These
sentiments, destabilization of governmental control, and local community groups
helped Zionism grow in the empire.
So what should delegates
take away from this? First, despite being the population being largely Muslim,
Jewish Zionism was able to grow within the empire. Delegates will need to
address growing ideals from various groups, with their decisions directly
affecting the success of these movements. Second, Zionism is important. Israel,
as it is present day, takes up a critical coastal region in the empire, and
places a pro-European country in the middle of the empire. Even though it is
not a country during this period, large yet condensed homogenous populations
can still present serious problems for regional control. Lastly, leadership is
dealing with people. How would you address this? Would this even be an issue to
you? Delegates should understand their position on the issue, as many other
issues will indirectly affect Zionist feeling in the region.
Links for further
research:
- https://www.estherbenbassa.net/SCANS/ZIONISM.PDF
- http://www.hips.hacettepe.edu.tr/nbd_cilt25/mutlu.pdf
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/163676?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
The Zionists should be allowed to create a Jewish homeland for their people to come together and resist mistreatment. The United States of America entered World War I to make the world safe for democracy. Democracy is rule by the people, where people can choose their own leaders to prevent their own mistreatment. Jewish people have been mistreated numerous times in history, and are often targets of discrimination and abuse. It is clear that the Turks, or any other group within the Ottoman Empire, will continue this treatment of Zionists into the future. It is therefore necessary for their own safety, rights, and prosperity that the Zionists are allowed their own homeland, where they can be ruled by their own people, and be free from the discrimination and abuse of the past.
ReplyDelete-Woodrow Wilson (President of the United States)