The Knesset this week launched a yearlong series of celebrations leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Zionist Congress.
The congress first convened in 1897 in Basel, Switzerland.
“Zionism is the synonym for Judaism, and an aspiration for the Jewish people to live in its homeland,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday before a gathering of Knesset members, representatives from the Jewish Agency for Israel/World Zionist Organization and invited guests.
“There is no other people so linked to its homeland, as in Israel,” the premier added.
Also addressing the gathering, Tourism Minister Moshe Katsav said, “There is no other national liberation movement that can compete with the Zionist movement, based on its achievements.”
Among the anniversary events planned:
A new road, Zionism Avenue in Jerusalem, will be created. A mosaic will represent Jewish communities worldwide.
A torch-lighting relay that begins in the Diaspora will arrive in Jerusalem on Independence Day, 1997.
Zionism will be prominently featured at the Israel, Carmiel and Arad cultural festivals next year.
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