The Biochemist Who Helped Establish a Jewish State | The Jewish Story | Unpacked

After the death of Theodor Herzl in 1904, British-Jewish biochemist Chaim Weizmann was determined to carry out Herzl’s vision of international support for a Jewish homeland in what was then Palestine. With World War I raging and the Jews of the Land of Israel, greatly suffering under Ottoman rule, Weizmann petitioned the British and persuaded many, including Winston Churchill, of the urgency to declare Israel as the Jewish homeland. On October 31, 1917, Herzl’s dream came closer to realization when the British parliament expressed Britain’s official support of a Jewish homeland in Palestine through the Balfour Declaration. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:30 Theodor Herzl and the Zionist Movement 01:01 Chaim Weizmann’s origins 01:38 The Weizmann Process and Winston Churchill 02:11 Petitioning for Zionism 02:23 Jews in the Ottoman Empire 03:20 Zion Mille Corps and Zeev Jabotinsky 03:54 British promises 04:24 Weizmann uses Antisemitic tropes to gain support for Zionism 05:08 Righteous Zionist cause 05:32 The Balfour Declaration, Britain’s official support for a Jewish home in Palestine 06:02 Weizmann holds the accountable 06:19 British limits on immigration to Palestine 07:00 True Jewish independence 07:33 Outro Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! Recommended video— What is the Balfour Declaration? We have merch! – Let’s connect: Website — Instagram — Twitter — TikTok — @jewishunpacked Facebook — ----------- Co-Executive Producers: - Melinda Goldrich - Shmuel Katz Gold Level: - Goldrich Family Foundation ----------- Image and footage credits: Israel GPO Chrstphre Graeme Main/MOD ----------- About The Jewish Story: Understand three thousand years of Jewish history in these short videos based on the book Letters to Auntie Fori: The 5,000-Year History of the Jewish People and Their Faith by the renowned historian Sir Martin Gilbert. Learn the Jewish story from the ancient Israelites of the Bible to Hellenization, the Jews of the Middle Ages to modern day, and more. About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #WW1 #ChaimWeizmann #BalfourDeclaration
Back to Top