The Jewish People have had an uninterrupted presence in the land of Israel for more than 3000 years. The idea of returning to the homeland from which they were expelled persisted in religious liturgy, but only in the 19th century arose the idea of recreating a nation-state.

 

The vision of Theodor Herzl for a Jewish return to Zion was realized by waves upon waves of Zionist settlers, fleeing persecution and seeking an opportunity, in the words of Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah ("The Hope"): "to be a free people in our own land."