English: The "Basel Program" at the
First Zionist Congress in
1897The source text on the document is as follows:
German:Programm
Der Zionismus erstrebt für das jüdische Volk die Schaffung einer (öffentlich-)rechtlich gesicherten Heimstätte in Palästina.
Zur Erreichung dieses Ziels nimmt der Congress folgende Mittel in Aussicht:
- I. Die zweckdienliche Förderung der Besiedlung Palästinas mit jüdischen Ackerbauern, Handwerkern und Gewerbetreibenden.
- II. Die Gliederung und Zusammenfassung der gesammten Judenschaft durch geeignete örtliche und allgemeine Veranstaltungen nach den Landesgesetzen.
- III. Die Stärkung des jüdischen Volksgefühls und Volksbewusstseins.
- IV. Vorbereitende Schritte zur Erlangung der Regierungszustimmung, die nötig sind, um das Ziel des Zionismus zu erreichen.
One English translation follows:
English:
Program
Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine secured under public law.
The Congress contemplates the following means to the attainment of this end:
- 1. The promotion by appropriate means of the settlement in Palestine of Jewish farmers, artisans, and tradesmen.
- 2. The organization and uniting of the whole of Jewry by means of appropriate local and overall events, in accordance with the country's laws.
- 3. The strengthening and fostering of Jewish national sentiment and national consciousness.
- 4. Preparatory steps toward obtaining the consent of the government, where necessary, in order to reach the goals of Zionism.
Some English variations translate the term
Palästina and
Palästinas as
Eretz Israel, or
Eretz Yisrael (with the more traditional religious Hebraic spelling), rather than using the standard English term
Palestine. This difference reflects
Revisionist,
Religious Zionism and
Neo-Zionism dogma within broader
Zionist ideology. It became official terminology following the
Menachem Begin Likud government in 1977. Additionally, some translations of the second item say “by means of appropriate institutions, both local and international,” rather than the “by means of appropriate local and overall events,” as noted above. Some translations of the fourth item say “obtaining the consent of governments,” rather than the “obtaining the consent of the government,” as noted above. Other minor variations also exist.