Theodor Herzl Quotes and Sayings - Page 1
-
“The Jews who will it shall achieve their State. We shall live at last as free men on our own soil, and in our own homes peacefully die. The world will be liberated by our freedom, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness. And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“We believe that salvation is to be found in wholesome work in a beloved land. Work will provide our people with the bread of tomorrow, and moreover, with the honor of the tomorrow, the freedom of the tomorrow.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Were I to sum up the Basle Congress in a word- which I shall guard against pronouncing publicly- it would be this: 'At Basle, I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today, I would be answered by universal laughter. If not in 5 years, certainly in 50, everyone will know it.'”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“The wealth of a country is its working people.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“It is true that we aspire to our ancient land. But what we want in that ancient land is a new blossoming of the Jewish spirit.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“We shall try to spirit the penniless population across the border by procuring employment for it in the transit countries, while denying it any employment in our own country .... expropriation and the removal of the poor must be carried out discreetly and circumspectly.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“If you will it, it is no dream; and if you do not will it, a dream it is and a dream it will stay”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“The character of a people may be ruined by charity.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“The Jewish people asked nothing of its sons except not to be denied. The world is grateful to every great man when he brings it something; only the paternal home thanks the son who brings nothing but himself.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“The spirit in which the offer was made must of necessity contribute to improving and alleviating the situation of the Jewish people without our renouncing one iota of the great principles upon which our movement is based.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Nothing prevents us from being and remaining the exponents of a united humanity, when we have a country of our own. To fulfill this mission we do not have to remain literally planted among the nations who hate and despise us.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Our first object is... the obtaining of sovereignty, assured by international law, over a portion of the globe sufficiently large to satisfy our just requirements.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Let sovereignty be granted us over a portion of the earth's surface large enough to satisfy our rightful requirements as a nation. The rest we shall manage for ourselves.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“I prefer being penetrated by iron to seeing Palestine is loose.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“I incline to an aristocratic republic. This would satisfy the ambitious spirit among our people. We shall learn from the historic mistakes of others in the same way as we learn from our own; for we are a modern nation and wish to be the most modern in the world.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Economic distress, political pressure, and social obloquy already drive us from our homes and from our graves. The Jews are already constantly shifting from place to place.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Four years ago in speaking of a Jewish nation one ran the risk of being regarded ridiculous. Today he makes himself ridiculous who denies the existence of a Jewish nation.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“The Jews had, as a matter of fact, long been all along the most ingenious entrepreneurs. It was only our own future that we had never built upon a business basis.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Whoever would change men must change the conditions of their lives.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“We are organizing Jewry for its coming destiny.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Dream and deed are not as different as many think. All the deeds of men are dreams at first, and become dreams in the end.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“The Jewish question exists wherever the Jews live, however small their number. Where it does not exist it is imported by Jew immigrants. We naturally go where we are not persecuted, and, still persecution is the result of our appearance...By persecution we cannot be exterminated...the strong Jews turn proudly to their race when persecution bursts out. Entire branches of Judaism may disappear, break away; the tree lives.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“I believe I understand anti-Semitism which is a very complex movement. I see it as a Jew, but without hatred or fear. I recognize what is anti-Semitism is rude jesting, vulgar jealousy of métier, hereditary prejudice; but also what can be considered as in fact legitimate defence.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“When I remember thee in days to come, O Jerusalem, it will not be with pleasure. The musty deposits of 2,000 years of inhumanity, intolerance, and uncleanliness lie in the foul-smelling alleys... The amiable dreamer of Nazareth has only contributed to increasing the hatred... What superstition and fanaticism on every side!”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Philanthropic colonization is a failure. National colonization will succeed.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Do you know out of what the German Empire arose? Out of dreams, songs, fantasies and black-red-gold ribbons? Bismarck merely shook the tree that fantasies had planted.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Zionism demands a publicly recognized and legally secured homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people. This platform is unchangeable.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“Dreams and actions are not so different as usually thought, as all actions of men are founded upon dreams, and their end - is a dream too.”
-- Theodor Herzl -
“But I am convinced that those Jews who stand aside today with a malicious smile and with their hands in their trousers' pockets will also want to dwell in our beautiful home.”
-- Theodor Herzl
