Zeev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky born on October 18 1880 in Odessa was a influential leader and founder of a Jewish Zionist Revisionist movement. Zionist revisionists believed that the State of Israel can only be gained by the military means and formed the Jewish Self Defense Units, and the Jewish Legion. His ideology laid foundations for modern day Israeli ruling Likud party. A less known fact that during 1920-1939 Jabotinsky often visited Latvia and the idea of making a new political movement and youth organization came to Jabotisky during his visit to Riga. On 1923 the day after his speech about the Zionist activism he was invited at the local Jewish student association and was criticized by stirring up the youth by his radical views. He was told You either keep quiet or organize a party! Before his trip to Riga after his break up with the leading Zionists,Jabotinsky wanted to leave the politics. Now he was writing excitedly about the new generation of youth he met in Riga who is worth believing and that he had made up his mind to enlist for the cause of the Jewish activism. Riga became the birthplace of a Jewish revisionist movement Betar. Jabotinsky visited Riga many times and the Betar as well as paramilitary youth organization Trumpeldor strived. Latvia was also home of the various left wing and religious Zionist movements. Jabotinsky died on August 4 1940 in US before the Holocaust and the founding of Israel. The Zionist revisionists laid the foundations for the Israeli right wing politics and the military. His modern ideological followers lead the country for past two decades.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 09:24:41 +0000