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Theodor Herzl was the initiator of the founding of a Jewish state, Israel. Photo/New York Times
JAKARTA – The figure of Theodor Herzl may sound quite foreign to the general public. In fact, it turns out that he is known as the initiator of the founding of a Jewish state, namely Israel.
Quoting the Britannica page, Thursday (19/1/2023), Theodor Herzl was born in Budapest, Hungary on May 2, 1860. He was the son of Jacob and Jeanette Herzl, a secular Jewish family.
In 1878, the family moved to Vienna. There, Theodor entered the University of Vienna and received his doctorate in law in 1884. After graduation, he worked briefly in Vienna and Salzburg.
There, Theodor made a career in journalism as a journalist for a local newspaper in Vienna, then a correspondent for Neue Freie Presse, to a news editor.
The big change in Theodor Herzl’s life came when he saw anti-Semitism as a problem that only Jews could solve. He thought that the solution to this problem was an organized response by the Jews.
Theodor believed that antisemitism could not be resolved. The only solution is to establish a Jewish state. In 1896, he published a book entitled “Der Judenstaat” which immediately received both criticism and praise.
The book containing these ideas quickly spread around the world and received international attention. The supporters of the Zionist movement were immediately attracted and joined Theodor.
Citing the Herzl Institute website, Theodor Herzl held the first Zionist Congress in 1897. As a leader, he took practical steps to immediately establish a Jewish state.
In its continuity, Theodor led the Zionist Organization for 7 years until his death in 1904. Even though he never witnessed it himself, in the end a Jewish state was established in 1948, namely Israel.
During Israel’s declaration of independence, his name was the only individual named. In this case, they call him the “Writer of the Vision of the Jewish State”. This made him increasingly known as the founder of the Zionist movement which initiated the establishment of a Jewish state (Israel).
(ian)
