61 Quotes by Theodor Herzl

If you will it, it is no dream.

If you will it, it is no dream; and if you do not will it, a dream it is and a dream it will stay.

Universal brotherhood is not even a beautiful dream. Antagonism is essential to man’s greatest efforts.

Let sovereignty be granted us over a portion of the earth’s surface large enough to satisfy our rightful requirements as a nation. The rest we shall manage for ourselves.

I will give you my definition of a nation, and you can add the adjective ‘Jewish.’ A Nation is, in my mind, an historical group of men of a recognizable cohesion held together by a common enemy. Then, if you add to that the word ‘Jewish’ you have what I understand to be the Jewish nation.

It goes without saying that the Jewish people can have no other goal than Palestine and that, whatever the fate of the proposition may be, our attitude toward the land of our fathers is and shall remain unchangeable.

Were I to sum up the Basle Congress in a word- which I shall guard against pronouncing publicly- it would be this: ‘At Basle, I founded the Jewish State. If I said this out loud today, I would be answered by universal laughter. If not in 5 years, certainly in 50, everyone will know it.’