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Ashkenazi Jews Arrive in Palestine

2m 55s

In 1881, the assassination of Czar Alexander II leads to a wave of anti-Semitic violence resulting in the emigration of 2 million Ashkenazi Jews — a small portion of whom ended up in Palestine. The arriving immigrants name their settlements “First in Zion” or “Ray of Hope,” reflecting their sense of hope in their new home.

Extras
After the first immigrants settled, a second wave aspired to connect with the land.
Examine seeds of the Middle East conflict, sown in pre-WWI Ottoman Palestine.
The Zionist movement began using a slogan with lasting implications.
Jews began to see the importance of buying land and establishing clustered settlements.
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Fresh insight into the dramatic events that led to a century of unrest.