Basel Program: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Ideological platform of the Zionist movement}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}

[[Image:The "Basel Program" at the First Zionist Congress in 1897.jpg|thumb|200px|The original "Basel Program", as agreed at the conference. The indicated amendment changes "by law" to "by public law".]]

The '''Basel Program''' was the first [[manifesto]] of the [[Zionism|Zionist movement]], drafted between 27- and 30 August 1897 and adopted unanimously at the [[First Zionist Congress]] in [[Basel]], [[Switzerland]], on 30 August 1897.

In 1951, it was replaced by the [[Jerusalem Program]].

==History==

The Basel Program was drafted by a committee elected on Sunday 29 August 1897{{sfn|Jubilee Publication|1947|p=73}} comprising [[Max Nordau]] (heading the committee),{{sfn|Epstein|2016|p=54,83-87}} [[Nathan Birnbaum]], [[Alexander Mintz]], [[Siegmund Rosenberg]], [[:de: Saul Raphael Landau |Saul Rafael Landau]],{{sfn|Bodenheimer|1963|p=102|ps= "...the commission, whose members were Nordau, Nathan Birnbaum, Sigmund Rosenberg, Dr. Minz, and Saul Rafael Landau was formed, and in addition Professor Schapira and I were also included..."}}{{sfn|Epstein|2016|p=54,83-87}}<ref name="EJ2007">{{citation|last1=Skolnik|first1=Fred|last2=Berenbaum|first2=Michael|title=Encyclopaedia Judaica|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vKoUAQAAIAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Macmillan Reference USA|isbn=978-0-02-865931-2|page=202}}</ref> together with [[Hermann Schapira]] and [[Max Bodenheimer]] who were added to the committee on the basis of them having both drafted previous similar programs (including the "Kölner Thesen").{{sfn|Jubilee Publication|1947|p=73}}

The seven-man committee prepared the Program over three drafting meetings.{{sfn|Jubilee Publication|1947|p=73}}

==Goals==

The program set out the goals of the Zionist movement as follows:<ref name=Protocols>[https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/cm/periodical/titleinfo/3476255 Zionisten-Congress in Basel], Officielles Protocoll, 1898, pp114–119pp. 114–119.</ref>

{{Cquote|Zionism seeks to establish a home in Palestine for the Jewish people, secured under public law.<ref>"Der Zionismus erstrebt für das jüdische Volk die Schaffung einer öffentlich-rechtlich gesicherten Heimstätte in Palästina." The original proposal had "rechtlich" rather than "öffentlich-rechtlich" but was altered during the Congress.</ref>

To achieve this goal, the Congress envisages the following means:

1. The expedient promotion of the settlement of Jewish agriculturists, artisans, and businessmentradesmen in Palestine.

2. The organization and bringing together of all Jews through local and general events, according to the laws of the various countries.