The Early Days of Zionism and Herzl's Warnings

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This chapter explores the founding of the Zionist movement, highlighting Herzl's predictions about the future of the Jews and the initial lack of interest from most Jews. It discusses Herzl's strategic argument for Jews to leave Europe, warning of potential dangers in the imagined communities forming there. The chapter also mentions an incident where Herzl was openly mocked by Jews and underscores the accuracy of his predictions.

Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur takes us on a deep dive into the origins of Israel--how European Jew-hatred gave birth to Zionism and the founding of the Jewish state in 1948. He then turns to the rise of Palestinian terrorism and explains why the Palestinian experience and the Israeli experience are so incompatible. Along the way, Gur places the Holocaust in a much broader European context. I learned an immense amount from this conversation and hope you do, too.