Fourth Zionist Congress - LONDON 1900

The Fourth Zionist Congress was held in London, England from August 13 to 16, 1900. It was the first Congress not held in Basel, Switzerland and the only Congress prior to Israel’s Independence not held in continental Europe. The selection of London to host the Congress reflected Herzl’s strategic decision to focus on Britain to assist him in his project to establish a Jewish state.

In his opening address to the Congress Herzl said:"England, great England, free England, England looking over all the seas, will understand our aspirations. From here the Zionist

idea will take its flight further and higher, of that we are sure.” 

Herzl of course was right. In 1903, England offered to the Zionist movement the possibility of a territory in East Africa (commonly referred to as Uganda, but actually in the area that is Kenya today) and, in 1917, the English government issued the Balfour Declaration which reflected its support for the establishment in Palestine of a home for the Jewish people.

The Congress discussed the crisis which was then unfolding for the Jews of Romania where thousands were forced to flee the country and those remaining were subject to harassment and pressure. Herzl viewed this situation as proof of the need for the Jewish homeland that Zionism was working to secure.

At the Congress, the religious Zionists demanded that the Zionist movement restrict itself solely to political matters. The Congress also discussed issues relating to the Zionist workers in Palestine and the question of a national Jewish sports movement. 

The Congress did not resonate greatly with English Jewry, many of whom were skeptical about Zionism. An article in the September 1, 1900 edition of the Reform Advocate (an English-Jewish weekly) stated: “The Zionists have chosen to come to London in the dead season of August when Londoners are out of town. We can scarcely suppose that they are satisfied to preach to the converted. But if they wished to make converts among Jews, they chose a curiously inopportune moment for spreading their propaganda. Had Dr. Herzl and his colleagues come a month or six weeks earlier, he would have found our communal life in full swing. This would have given them an opportunity of conferring with our communal leaders on the Roumanian situation and it is not unlikely that some good might have resulted from such deliberations.”

There were 18 more Zionist Congresses held before the State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948. Herzl attended two more before he died in 1904.

To mark the 125th anniversary of the Fourth Zionist Congress, please enjoy the images below from David’s collection.

These images are available to be downloaded and used free of charge. 

If you do, we would ask that you please provide the following photo credit:  

From the David Matlow Herzl and Zionism Collection (www.herzlcollection.com)

Photos: Kevin Viner, Elevator Digital, Toronto 

If you would like to order art quality prints and posters of any size, please contact info@elevatordigital.ca

If you have any questions about these items please contact davidmatlow@icloud.com