Netanyahu: The antisemitism that drove Herzl to found Zionism still exists

“The forces that drove Herzl to create the magnificent enterprise of the Zionist movement still exist even after 130 years,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday at the annual state memorial service on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem that marks the July 3, 1904, death of Herzl, the modern father of Zionism.

The negative force, Netanyahu said, was antisemitism. Theodor Herzl understood that the challenge of antisemitism, which comes in waves, is solved with a Jewish state that can retaliate by force against those who “come to slaughter us,” the premier said.

The positive force of Zionism, the prime minister continued, was “To return the control over our destiny into our own hands. To turn us into a productive people that sustains itself and contributes to the family of nations.

“It must be understood that Herzl innovated something fundamental here: He took love of Zion ... [and] attached the word ‘political’ to love of Zion. Political Zionism, which is involved in the affairs of the wider world and acts on the world stage!” Netanyahu said.

He elaborated on how Herzl represented the Jewish people before world leaders in his advocacy for a national homeland in the Land of Israel, taking their interests into account “while presenting our interests in a clear manner.

“Herzl’s path is our path. While we are attentive to the interests of our allies, we stand firm on the vital interests of Israel, and in this context, I repeat what I said a few sentences ago, it is important to say it again: With an agreement or without an agreement, we will not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons!”

Netanyahu was referring to the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran on June 17 that leaves the subject of Tehran’s nuclear project for a final agreement, slated for signing after 60 days of negotiations.

The Israeli leader emphasized that “Herzl knew that we would need a defensive force, a Hebrew army that would protect our state from those who wish us harm. And indeed, we are all filled with wonder at the extraordinary heroism of our soldiers and commanders, in the War of Redemption [triggered during the Hamas-led invasion into Israel’s south on Oct. 7, 2023]. Herzl knew the map of the Middle East very well. He mentions Mount Hermon, Damascus and Lebanon in his writings. And indeed, our fighters today look out over Syria from the crown of Mount Hermon, hold the peak of the Beaufort [Castle] in Lebanon, and operate with determination in the Litani [River] region. Israel will remain in Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect the residents of the north and all citizens of Israel.”

Herzl was born on May 2, 1860, in Pest, Hungary. A journalist and lawyer, he initiated and organized political Zionism after covering the Dreyfus Affair in France. The legally flawed trial of a French Jewish officer made him convinced that European antisemitism would prevent the full emancipation of Jews across Europe and that a sovereign Jewish state would enable them to live independent lives with equal rights under the law.