The beginning of modern Israel: The Balfour Declaration

It is often assumed the modern nation of Israel is a historical anomaly disconnected from Jewish history. However, the Balfour Declaration (1917) and subsequent League of Nations Mandate (1922) demonstrate a widespread awareness that the Jewish desire for a national homeland was not merely the product of national self-determination but the result of a long-standing connection with what was then known as the Ottoman province of Palestine. In order to help defeat the Ottoman Empire the Allies (notably Great Britain and France) encouraged both Jewish and Arab nationalism (Hadi, 1932).  

Allied plans for the post-war future of the Ottoman Empire underwent several revision and while the Balfour Declaration was part of a larger strategic calculation, it was not an isolated anomaly. The French government was in favour of the Declaration, with the French Foreign minister Jules Cambon saying this about a draft of the Declaration in October, 1917. "The renaissance of the Jewish nationality in that Land from which the people of Israel were exiled so many centries ago." (Gold, 2017) Additionally the American Government was consulted prior to the release of the Declaration. (Gold, 2017).  Then "[o]n July 24, 1922, the British pledge to help build the Jewish National Home was explicitly incorporated into the text of the League of Nations Mandate, which called for "putting into effect" its terms." (Gold, 2017) 

Future prime minister of Israel David Ben Gurion described the Declaration in this way in 1937. "I say on behalf of the Jews that the Bible is our Mandate, the Bible which was written by us, in our own language, in Hebrew in this very country. That is our Mandate. It is only recognition of this right which was expressed in the Balfour Declaration." (Gold, 2017) Furthermore the League of Nations Mandate (1922) states in the preface: "Whereas recognition has thereby been given to the historical connexion of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country." (Laqueur & Rubin, 2008).

References

Aouni Bey Abdul Hadi, 'The Balfour Declaration'., The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 164, Palestine. A Decade of Development (Nov., 1932), pp. 12-21. 

Dore Gold, 'The Historical Significance of the Balfour Declaration' Jewish Political Studies Review, Vol. 28, No. 1/2, 100 Years Since the Balfour Declaration (Spring 2017), pp. 8-13.

Walter Laqueur and Barry Rubin, eds. The Israel-Arab Reader: A documentary History of the Middle East Conflict, London: Penguin Books, 2008. 

The beginning of modern Israel: The Battle of Beersheba

The Australian Light Horse played an important role in the defeat of Ottoman forces in the province of Palestine during the First World War (Bou, 2007). For several years the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was stuck in a stalemate across the Siani, unable to push past the Turkish defences at Gaza. The newly appointed General Allenby then planned a feit in front of the main trenches and a rapid mounted attack on the eastern-most position of the Turkish defences at Beersheba in October 1917. Initially, the dismounted 4th Light Horse Bridge struggled to make headway against the entrenched Turkish troops around the town. Lieutenant-Colonel Murray Bourchier then made the decision for the Light Horse to mount up and charge the defences on the southeast of the town of Beersheba. (A slower dismounted attack may not have been successful and may have resulted in heavy casualties for the lightly armed attackers.) The Light Horse swept through the defences and into the town securing it for General Allenby's campaign. Ironically, poor EEF logistics plus Austrian-Hungarian artillery and German machine-gunners allowed the rest of the Turkish forces to conduct an orderly withdrawal (Bou, 2007).

References

Jean Bou, 'Cavalry, Firepower, and Swords: The Australian Light Horse and the Tactical Lessons of Cavalry Operations in Palestine, 1916-1918',  The Journal of Military History, Vol. 71, No. 1 (Jan., 2007), pp. 99-125

The beginning of modern Israel: Zionism

One of the fallacies surrounding the establishment of modern Israel is that early Zionists were simply products of 18th century nationalism or a reaction to European Imperialism (Kayyali, 1977). But if you look at their early manifestos and statements, they have a Biblical awareness of Jewish people's connection to the land. The Bilu Group Manifesto from 1882 begins "Nearly two thousand years have elapsed since, in an evil hour, after a heroic struggle, the glory of our Temple vanished in fire and our kings and chieftains changed their crowns and diadems for the chains of exile." (Laqueur & Rubin, 2008) Theodor Herzel is conscious that his proposal of a modern Jewish state has continuity with the past. "In the preface to Der Juden staat (1896) he says: 'The idea which I have developed in this pamphlet is a very old one: it is the restoration of the Jewish State." (Laqueur & Rubin, 2008) 

The histrography and definition of Zionism is a complex topic, made up of many layers and developing over time (Selwyn, 1993). But in summary Zionism is about the establishment of a Jewish community in the land of Israel. It is both a positive ideology, emphasising the cultural goodness of Judaism plus an appeciation of the long history of Jewish people, but it's also a reactive ideology, its a response to the global history of anti-semitism. Herzel has his eye on both themes when he organized the Zionist movement at the turn of the 20th Century  (Avineri, 1998). 

References

Abdul-Wahab Kayyali, 'Zionism and Imperialism: The Historical Origins', Journal of Palestine Studies , Spring, 1977, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Spring, 1977), pp. 98-112.

Ruth and Tom Selwyn, 'Zionism', European Judaism: A Journal for the New Europe, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Spring 93), pp. 28-34.

Shlomo Avineri, 'Herzl's Road to Zionism' The American Jewish Year Book, Vol. 98 (1998), pp. 3-15.

Walter Laqueur and Barry rubin, eds. The Israel-Arab Reader: A documentary History of the Middle East Conflict, London: Penguin Books, 2008.