Ebook - The Foundations of Zionism by Sabri Jiryis

Translated into English for the first time since its original publication by the PLO’s Palestine Research Center, this book extensively details the origins of Zionism and its development as an ideology and political project that has wrought havoc in the Middle East and beyond over the last century.

The Foundations of Zionism chronicles this development from Zionism’s early origins up to the establishment of the British mandate over Palestine in 1923, refuting many of the movement’s own foundational myths – from its early relationship to the Palestinians to its exclusively religious character. Sabri Jiryis delves into Zionism’s successive congresses and factional struggles, its early failures to settle in Palestine and the formation of armed militias, and its temporary alliances with the Ottoman Empire before the movement eventually secured support from Western colonial powers such as Britain. In a newly written conclusion, Jiryis reconsiders the Zionist project 100 years on from the Balfour Declaration and amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Translator’s note
Preface

Introduction
1. Pioneers of Zionism: Early Thinkers (1862-1884)
2. Lovers of Zion: Early Practitioners (1882-1904)
3. Herzl and the Zionist Organization: The Jewish State Project and its Agencies (1897-1904)
4. The Second Aliyah: Foundations of the Zionist Entity (1904-1914)
5. The First World War and the Balfour Declaration: The Alliance of Colonialism and Zionism (1914-1917)
6. British Mandate over Palestine, Part 1: The Mandate System and its Frameworks (1918-1923)
7. British Mandate over Palestine, Part II: Foundations of the “Jewish National Home” (1918-1923)
Conclusion: Zionism in the Service of Colonialism

Bibliography
Index

October 2025
614 pages, Ebb Books
9781738468744