1900’s
By 1903 the Jewish population in Palestine had more than doubled to 55,000.
1904-1914 Second Aliyah: Another wave of European Jewish (mostly Russian Empire) immigrants move to Palestine. About 35,000
1904 Zionist leader Herzl learns Italy is planning to colonize Libya makes overtures to Italian king to let Jews settle there. Not wanting his expansionist plans out in the open the king rejects the offer. Next, Zionists float plans with Ottomans to let Russian Jews settle in Libya in small groups of 10 to 20 families. These immigrants would be classified as Ottoman Nationals but retain their autonomy. They’d pay taxes to the Ottomans. The plan, according to author, Dr. Amin Abdul Mahmoud, was that as Ottoman citizens the immigrants would be in proximity of Palestine and able to move there when conditions allowed.
1904 Herzl dies at age 44. Other Zionists pursue his aspirations.
1905: HeHalutz founded in America by Eliezer Joffee and also founded in Russia. An agricultural youth movemement to train young Jews for settling in the Palestine. During WWI HeHalutz branches opened across Russia, Europe, America, and Canada. HeHaltz leaders included David Ben Gurion (who became first Prime Minister of Isarel) in America, and Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (who later became second President of Israel). In 1932-34 future Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir spent time in the U.S. as Secretary of HeHalutz. By the Eve of WW2 HeHalutz had about 100,000 members worldwide about 60,000 of them had already emigrated to Mandate Palestine.
1906 Golda Meir ne. Mabrovitch, (future Prime Minister of Israel) moves to United States from Russia.
1908: Zionist Organization establishes Palestine Office to procure Palestinian land for agricultural settlement, with plans for urban expansion of Jewish immigrants.
1908-1914 In Palestine: the Zionist organization took charge of schools. Created a ‘single school system’.( At the outbreak of WW1 there had been 140 Jewish schools with 500 teachers).
1909: Zionist terrorists Yitzhak Ben Zvi and David Ben-Gurion (future first Prime Minister of Israel) form para military ‘Hashomer’ With the objectives of protecting Zionist expansion in Palestine through superior fire power against the Palestinians. Hashomer would go on to merge with terrorist group ‘Haganah’ when that was formed in 1924.
1909 Tel Aviv, which would become Israel’s largest city, was built as a settlement in the suburb of Palestinian city of Jaffa.
*1909: First edition of ‘Scofield Reference Bible’ published by Oxford University Press. Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921), a con artist, embezzler, land speculator, alcoholic, who among other things, abandoned his wife and children, fled his government job to avoid corruption charges, and forged documents. Scofield’s annotated interpretations of the King James Bible is The Bible used today by millions of American Christian Fundamentalists such as John Hagee, Christians United for Israel, Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, etc. to justify American support of Zionist Israel. It’s called “the Bible of Fundamentalism.” Interesting note: Although Scofield died more than 100 years ago, ‘updated’ versions of his bible are still being published.
