A Zionist bibliography has been published by the Federation of American Zionists. Besides the works already cited in the body of this article, see, on the early nationalist movement Graetz, Geschichte der Juden, under the heads of the various pseudo-Messiahs and their adher ents. Jewish agricultural colonies will be found discussed very fully in The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. i. pp. 24o-262. For early Zionist projects see Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, No. 8, pp. 75-118; Laurence Oliphant, Land of Gilead; Mrs. Oliphant, Life of Laurence Oliphant, pp. 168 et seq. The Zionist movement since 1895 is fully recorded in its official organ, Die Welt (Vienna). For proceed ings of the Congresses see the Official Protocols published for each year by the society, "Erez Israel" of Vienna; also Herzl, Der Baseler Con gress (Vienna, 1897). On the movement generally, see Herzl's Zionist ische Schriften, edited by Dr. Leon Kellner ; Ten Years of Zionism (Cologne, 1907) ; Nordau, Zionism, its History and its Aims (19o5) ; J. de Haas, Zionism, Jewish Needs and Jewish Ideals; also articles by I. Zangwill in Cosmopolis (Oct. 1897), Contemporary Review (Oct. 1899) and Fortnightly Review (April 191o) ; Dr. Gaster in Asiatic Quarterly Review (Oct. 1897) ; H. Bentwich in Nineteenth Century (Oct. 1897), and Fortnightly Review (Dec. 1898) ; Reich in Nineteenth Century (Aug. 1897) ; Lucien Wolf in Jewish Quarterly Review (Oct. 1904: "The Zionist Peril"). On the ITO see pamphlets and leaflets published by the Jewish Territorial Organization ; also the Report of the Commission on Cyrenaica (19o9). (L. W. ; X.) As the prospects of obtaining a charter from the sultan gradu ally receded, sharp differences of opinion developed within the Zionist ranks. The "practical" Zionists, who included most of the Zionist leaders in Russia, pressed for an immediate start to be made in Palestine. The "political" Zionists, whose strength was in western and central Europe, still clung to the charter as an essential pre-requisite, protesting that Zionist resources should not be dissipated on petty colonization. The "practical" Zionists won their first important success in 1908, when a Zionist agency was established at Jaffa. The political field was not abandoned, but the movement now began to throw itself more and more vigor ously into the actual settlement of Jews on the soil of Palestine. For this purpose its main financial instrument was the Jewish National Fund, which in 1914 owned property in Palestine to the value of £144,000, as compared with £35,000 in 1909 and f I i,000 in 1907, when its active operations began. The marked quickening of the pace which dates from 1910 reflects the change in the direction of Zionist policy, though the resources of the movement were still small in comparison with those which were lavished upon the Jewish settlements in Palestine by Baron Edmond de Rothschild. It was Baron Edmond who came to the assistance of the struggling colonists in 1883, and it was due mainly to him that a number of Jewish agricultural colonies were already in existence in Palestine when his efforts began to be supplemented by those of the Zionist Organization. In 1914 Palestine had a Jewish population of about 90,00o, including about 13,00o settlers in 43 agricultural colonies. The total number of Jewish immigrants between 1882 and 1914 has been estimated at about 45,00o. In the period immediately before the World War, the Zionist Organi zation showed a growing tendency to interest itself in the revival of Hebrew culture in Palestine as well as in the settlement of Jews on the land. In 1913 the Eleventh Zionist Congress, while approving an ambitious programme of rural colonization, also resolved that steps should be taken towards the early establish ment in Jerusalem of a Hebrew university.
The outbreak of the World War, followed almost immediately by the intervention of Turkey on the side of the Central Powers, brought Zionist work in Palestine to a standstill and threatened the integrity of the Zionist Organization. The movement was essentially international, and its complicated constitution was un workable in a world at war. At the end of 1914, a Zionist bureau
was established on neutral soil at Copenhagen. Meanwhile, the American Zionists, acting on their own initiative, had already set up a "Provisional Executive Committee for General Zionist Affairs" under the chairmanship of Mr. (later Supreme Court Justice) L. D. Brandeis. This body remained active throughout the war and played a part of growing importance.
A new world was in the making, and it was now at least con ceivable that the Zionists might secure something like the charter on which they had originally staked their hopes. Political Zion ism was again in the ascendant. The initiative was taken by a group of Zionists in Great Britain, headed by Dr. Chaim Weiz mann of Manchester university. The Zionists now proposed that Great Britain should make it an avowed part of her policy to provide in the peace settlement for the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jews.
By the beginning of 1916 the British Government had come to the conclusion that Zionism deserved to be taken seriously. In a memorandum dated March 13, 1916, the British ambassador in Petrograd (Leningrad) informed the then foreign minister, M. Sazonov, that "the attention of His Majesty's Government had recently been drawn to the question of Jewish colonization in Palestine," and that "a numerous and most influential section of Jewry in all countries would highly appreciate the proposal of an agreement concerning Palestine which would fully satisfy Jewish aspirations." The Balfour Declaration.—Meanwhile, a new situation was developing in the Eastern theatre of war, and a British conquest of Palestine was becoming a possibility of the near future. At the same time, the hour of decision was approaching in the United States, where there was a Jewish population of over 3,000,000, while Russia, where the Jews were still more numerous, was steadily drifting into chaos. A declaration in favour of Zionism would help to rally Jewish opinion throughout the world to the side of the Allies. Further, the settlement in Palestine of a Jewish population attached to Great Britain by ties of interest and sentiment might well be of value in guaranteeing the perma nent security of the approaches to the Suez canal. To these practical motives was added a genuine desire to contribute towards the solution of the Jewish problem, in which British statesmen had shown themselves sympathetically interested long before the war.
All these considerations played their part in bringing the British Government into closer relations with the Zionist leaders. With Sir Mark Sykes as the principal intermediary, an exchange of views began in Feb. 1917, with the result that on Nov. 2 the foreign secretary, Mr. Balfour, wrote to Lord Rothschild : "Dear Lord Rothschild—I have much pleasure in conveying to you on behalf of His Majesty's Government the following declara tion of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations, which has been submitted to and approved by the Cabinet : 'His Majesty's Gov ernment view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best en deavours 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.' I should be grateful if you would bring this Declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation." The Balfour Declaration, as it has come to be called, was the act of Great Britain, but it was issued with the knowledge and concurrence of the Allied Powers. France formally associated herself with the Declaration in Feb. 1918, and Italy in the fol lowing May. As for the United States, President Wilson had personally intervened to make it clear that he would welcome a British pronouncement in favour of Zionism, and soon after the Declaration was issued, he publicly expressed his satisfaction.