Since October 7th, the term Zionism has been everywhere in the news. It’s been used to support Israel in what it calls its war against Hamas: a refrain to remind everyone why Israel exists and why it must be protected. Others have used Zionism to describe what they view as Israel’s collective punishment of civilians in Gaza, and its appropriation of Palestinian territories — what they often call “settler colonialism.”

Zionism has been defined and redefined again and again, and the definitions are often built on competing historical interpretations. So unsurprisingly, we’ve received many requests from you, our audience, to explore the origins of Zionism. On today’s episode, we go back to the late 19th century to meet the people who organized the modern Zionist movement.

Guests:

Anita Shapira, professor emerita of Jewish history at Tel Aviv University

Derek Penslar, author of the book Zionism, An Emotional State, and Director of Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies

Michael Brenner, a professor at American University and author of In Search of Israel: The History of an Idea

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