Zionism in the twenty-first century?

This chapter explores some thoughts concerning the theme of "Zionism in the twenty-first century."The walkway to the exit gates of Ben-Gurion International Airport—as Israel prepares to mark its seventieth anniversary year—is adorned with an exhibition of photographs and images from the history of Israel and Zionism. Even the historiography of Zionism has at times evinced the notion that Zionism came to an abrupt end on May 14, 1948. Modern Zionism emerged in the nineteenth century, in an age of ideologies and "isms." It was conceived in response to what was known during that century as "the Jewish question," or the "Jewish problem." The critiques that engendered the rise of Zionism were, from the outset, extremely diverse and focused on differing aspects of Jewish life and culture. It is probably most common to think of Zionism primarily in political terms, as a political movement that set out to establish a state for the Jews in Palestine.