First Aliyah: Difference between revisions
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In 1881, the [[czar]] [[Alexander II of Russia]] was assassinated, and the ruling bodies blamed the Jews for the assassination. Consequently, major anti-Jewish [[pogrom]]s swept the [[Pale of Settlement]]. A movement called [[Hovevei Zion|Hibbat Zion]] (love of Zion) spread across the Pale (helped by [[Leon Pinsker]]'s pamphlet ''Auto-emancipation''), as well as the similar [[Bilu]] movement, which both encouraged Jews to immigrate to Palestine. |
In 1881, the [[czar]] [[Alexander II of Russia]] was assassinated, and the ruling bodies blamed the Jews for the assassination. Consequently, major anti-Jewish [[pogrom]]s swept the [[Pale of Settlement]]. A movement called [[Hovevei Zion|Hibbat Zion]] (love of Zion) spread across the Pale (helped by [[Leon Pinsker]]'s pamphlet ''Auto-emancipation''), as well as the similar [[Bilu]] movement, which both encouraged Jews to immigrate to Palestine. |
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Israeli historian Benny Morris <ref>Benny Morris, ''"Righteous Victims, a history of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001"'', 2nd Edition p. 49 ISBN 0-679-74475-4</ref> |
Israeli historian Benny Morris <ref>Benny Morris, ''"Righteous Victims, a history of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001"'', 2nd Edition p. 49 ISBN 0-679-74475-4</ref> provides excerpts from three letters written in 1882 by these first arrivals: |
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<blockquote>"There are now only five hundred [thousand] Arabs, who are not very strong, and from whom we shall easily take away the country if only we do it through stratagems [and] without drawing upon us their hostility before we become the strong and populous ones."'', ''"The Jews will yet arise and, arms in hand (if need be), declare that they are the masters of their ancient homeland."'', ''"The thing we must do now is to become as strong as we can, to conquer the country, covertly, bit by bit .... we shall act like silent spies, we shall buy, buy, buy"</blockquote> |
<blockquote>"There are now only five hundred [thousand] Arabs, who are not very strong, and from whom we shall easily take away the country if only we do it through stratagems [and] without drawing upon us their hostility before we become the strong and populous ones."'', ''"The Jews will yet arise and, arms in hand (if need be), declare that they are the masters of their ancient homeland."'', ''"The thing we must do now is to become as strong as we can, to conquer the country, covertly, bit by bit .... we shall act like silent spies, we shall buy, buy, buy"</blockquote> |
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Nearly half of the settlers (including one of the writers quoted by Morris) did not stay in Palestine [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Immigration/First_Aliyah.html] and some of the remainder abandoned agriculture to live in towns. |
Nearly half of the settlers (including one of the writers quoted by Morris) did not stay in Palestine [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Immigration/First_Aliyah.html] and some of the remainder abandoned agriculture to live in towns. |
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Revision as of 05:02, 31 December 2006
The First Aliyah is the first Zionist aliyah, having taken place between 1882 and 1903. An estimated 25,000[1]-35,000[2] Jews immigrated to Ottoman Palestine during the First Aliyah, mostly from Eastern Europe, but also from Yemen.
Background
In 1881, the czar Alexander II of Russia was assassinated, and the ruling bodies blamed the Jews for the assassination. Consequently, major anti-Jewish pogroms swept the Pale of Settlement. A movement called Hibbat Zion (love of Zion) spread across the Pale (helped by Leon Pinsker's pamphlet Auto-emancipation), as well as the similar Bilu movement, which both encouraged Jews to immigrate to Palestine.
Israeli historian Benny Morris [1] provides excerpts from three letters written in 1882 by these first arrivals:
"There are now only five hundred [thousand] Arabs, who are not very strong, and from whom we shall easily take away the country if only we do it through stratagems [and] without drawing upon us their hostility before we become the strong and populous ones.", "The Jews will yet arise and, arms in hand (if need be), declare that they are the masters of their ancient homeland.", "The thing we must do now is to become as strong as we can, to conquer the country, covertly, bit by bit .... we shall act like silent spies, we shall buy, buy, buy"
Nearly half of the settlers (including one of the writers quoted by Morris) did not stay in Palestine [3] and some of the remainder abandoned agriculture to live in towns.
Settlement
The First Aliyah laid the cornerstone for Jewish settlement in Israel and created several settlements - Rishon LeZion, Rosh Pina, Zikhron Ya'aqov, Gedera etc.
Most settlements met with financial difficulties and most of the settlers were not proficient in farming. Baron Edmond James de Rothschild took several of the settlements under his wing, which helped them survive until more settlers with farming experience arrived in subsequent aliyot.
Immigrants of the First Aliyah also contributed to existing towns and settlements, notably Petah Tikva. The first neighbourhoods of Tel Aviv (Neve Shalom and Neve Tzedek) were also built by members of the aliyah, although it was not until the Second Aliyah that Tel Aviv was officially founded.
Notes
- ^ Benny Morris, "Righteous Victims, a history of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001", 2nd Edition p. 49 ISBN 0-679-74475-4