Basel Program

History

The Basel Program was drafted by a committee elected on Sunday 29 August 1897 comprising Max Nordau (heading the committee), Nathan Birnbaum, Alexander Mintz, Siegmund Rosenberg, Saul Rafael Landau, together with Hermann Schapira and Max Bodenheimer who were added to the committee on the basis of them having both drafted previous similar programs (including the "Kölner Thesen").

The seven-man committee prepared the Program over three drafting meetings.

Goals

The program set out the goals of the Zionist movement as follows:

To achieve this goal, the Congress envisages the following means:

1. The expedient promotion of the settlement of Jewish agriculturists, artisans, and tradesmen in Palestine.

2. The organization and bringing together of all Jews through local and general events, according to the laws of the various countries.

3. The strengthening of Jewish feeling and national consciousness.

4. Preparatory steps for obtaining the governmental approval which is necessary to the achievement of the Zionist purpose.

References

Bibliography

References

1. (2007). "Encyclopaedia Judaica". Macmillan Reference USA.
2. [https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/cm/periodical/titleinfo/3476255 Zionisten-Congress in Basel], Officielles Protocoll, 1898, pp. 114–119.
3. "Der Zionismus erstrebt für das jüdische Volk die Schaffung einer öffentlich-rechtlich gesicherten Heimstätte in Palästina." The original proposal had "rechtlich" rather than "öffentlich-rechtlich" but was altered during the Congress.