A panel discussion featuring three scholars examines Zionism as a political ideology with diverse historical, religious, and geopolitical roots. It is described as a modern political project that emerged in the late 19th century, aiming to bring Jews to the Holy Land through political or military means. Earlier impulses are traced back to Protestant theologies of the 17th century, which interpreted the return of the Jews as a prerequisite for the second coming of Christ. In the 19th century, British strategic interests around the Suez Canal reinforced these developments. Within Judaism, Zionism initially faced opposition and only later evolved into the state ideology of Israel, while today some observers characterize it as nationalist and exclusionary.
Zionism is also situated within broader messianic traditions of the Abrahamic religions, which share expectations of an end-time redemption. In addition to religious motivations, colonial and imperial factors play a central role, particularly the support of the British Empire and later the United States. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 and international decisions such as the 1947 UN partition plan laid the groundwork for the establishment of the state of Israel. At the same time, Zionism developed within the framework of European nation-state ideas that assign each people its own state, while encompassing a range of interpretations from secular to religious-messianic.
Since the second half of the 20th century, the movement has increasingly shifted toward religiously influenced strands, especially following the Six-Day War in 1967 and the expansion of settlements. At the same time, international support from Western states remains a key factor in Israel’s political and military position. On a global level, different forms of Zionism also exist, including in Africa and South America, where they are sometimes shaped by religious symbolism and are not necessarily understood in territorial terms. In international organizations such as the United Nations, a majority of states support a return to Israel’s borders of June 4, 1967 and the recognition of a Palestinian state.