Definition: Zionism  (scroll down for answer)       Definition: Zionism Led by Theodor Herzl, this was a movement in the late nineteenth century to find a permanent homeland for Jews in the Holy Land in the Middle East. In 1917, a letter (known as the Balfour Declaration) written by British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour called for the creation of a Jewish state within Palestine of the Middle East. IN 1947, the United Nations divided Palsestine into one Palestinian state, and one Jewish one. Israel became an independent state on May 14, 1948. Almost immediately, Arab nations invaded in what would be the first of four Arab-Israeli wars. Israel pushed back the threat. David Ben-Gurion became the first Prime Minister of Israel. Click here for next flash card.      Back to eFlashcard headquarters