Gentile reception of Herzlian zionism, a reconsideration

This paper examines the gentile reception of Herzlian Zionism in its first decade as reflected in the journal Die Welt and in the writings of three supporters of Herzl. Despite defining itself as the party of Autoemancipation, Herzlian Zionists avidly sought to demonstrate gentile concern, thereby cultivating a different kind of philosemitism from that cultivated by the Jewish mainstream. The cases of the missionary Protestant Carl Friedrich Heman, the literary radical Hermann Bahr, and the novelist Bertha von Suttner offer examples of how various misreadings of Herzlian Zionism enabled individuals to enlist as supporters of the movement. Herzl's own receptivity to gentile enthusiasm and his willingness to gloss over points of difference emerges as an effective and probably necessary tactic for a leader committed to propelling Zionism to world prominence. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.