Israel commemorates 129th anniversary of First Zionist Congress

The State of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948, 50 years, 8 months, and 13 days after the meeting.

By JNS

On Aug. 29, 1897, the first Zionist Congress assembled in Basle, Switzerland. It brought together delegates from 17 countries with the purpose of re-establishing a Jewish commonwealth.

Theodor Herzl, who conceived of the congress and the idea of using modern political methods to achieve the ancient Jewish dream of returning to the Land of Israel, set forth its purpose with his opening words:

“We are here to lay the foundation stone of the house, which is to shelter the Jewish nation.”

A program was laid out, including the settlement of the territory comprising ancient Israel, then ruled by the Ottomans, and the strengthening of Jewish national consciousness.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry celebrated the milestone on X:

“129 years ago today, Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, bringing together 200 delegates around a shared vision: self-determination for the people of Israel in their indigenous homeland,” the ministry said.

“The return to the Land of Israel had already been unfolding for decades, as tens of thousands of Jews from across the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe made their way home.

“Herzl’s vision gave this grassroots movement a unified political framework, turning a centuries-old dream into a structured state-building enterprise.”

StandWithUs, a U.S.-based pro-Israel group, commemorated the congress on Facebook:

“This pivotal event solidified the Jewish people’s longing for and endeavors to reclaim their homeland after millennia of forced diaspora.”

The American Zionist Movement, composed of 51 national Jewish Zionist organizations, posted:

“On this day in 1897: Theodor Herzl attended Shabbat services at the Great Synagogue of Basel before the opening of the First Zionist Congress. The Congress began the next day, creating the foundation of what became the State of Israel.”

On this day in 1897: Theodor Herzl attended Shabbat services at the Great Synagogue of Basel before the opening of the First Zionist Congress.

The Congress began the next day, creating the foundation of what became the State of Israel. pic.twitter.com/shp4VgK16d

— American Zionist Movement (@AZM4Israel) August 28, 2026

Herzl made the following entry in his diary on Sept. 1, 1897, a day after the congress closed:

“If I were to sum up the Basel Congress in a single phrase—which I would not dare to make public—I would say: In Basel I created the Jewish State.”

In a prescient passage he said, “If I said this out loud today, I would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years, perhaps, and certainly in fifty years, everyone will perceive it.”

The State of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948, 50 years, 8 months, and 13 days after Herzl’s prediction.