Revisionist Zionism is an outgrowth of Herzl's Political Zionism,
augmented by the ideas of Vladimir
(Ze'ev) Jabotinsky. In 1925, Jabotinsky established the
Revisionist Zionist Alliance, which advocated a revision, i.e.,
reexamination, of the principles of Political Zionism. The party's
principal aim was to change Chaim
Weizmann's moderate policies toward the British
Mandatory regime.
The declared goals of Revisionist ideology
included relentless pressure on Great Britain, including petitions
and mass demonstrations, for Jewish statehood on both banks of the
Jordan River; a Jewish majority in Palestine; a reestablishment of
the Jewish regiments; and military training for youth.
The Revisionists waged a heated debate in the Zionist
Organization [ZO] concerning the immediate and public stipulation
of the final aim of Zionism. When
their approach was rejected, they seceded from the ZO (1935) and
established the New Zionist Organization. They returned to the ZO in
1946, explaining that this became possible after the Biltmore
Program had proclaimed the establishment of a Jewish commonwealth
in Palestine as the goal of Zionism.
The National Military Organization (Etzel [the Irgun])
and some members of the Jewish Freedom Fighters (Lehi)
came from the ranks of the Revisionists. After the State of Israel was established, the Revisionist Zionist Organization merged with the
Etzel-founded Herut movement to form the Herut party, a component of
the Likud, one of Israel's two main political parties.
