Second Wave of Crusades
Following Napoleon's retreat from Egypt in 1799, the region fell back under Ottoman control. However, European interest in the Holy Land and the dream of "liberating" it persisted. The romanticism and religious fervor associated with the idea of reclaiming the Holy Land began to shape the notion of a "Second Wave of the Crusades" in Western imagination. This was a cultural and ideological movement rather than a direct military campaign.
In the 19th century, European powers, particularly Britain and France, vied for influence in the Middle East, including the Ottoman territories. During this period, there was an increased interest in the historical and religious significance of the Holy Land among Western Christians.
In the late 19th century, a new movement known as Zionism emerged. Zionism was a political and ideological movement that sought to establish a Jewish homeland in the historical land of Israel, which included the Holy Land. Theodor Herzl, an Austro-Hungarian journalist, is often regarded as the father of modern political Zionism. In 1896, he published "The Jewish State," advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland.
The British played a significant role in the eventual establishment of Israel. During World War I, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917, expressing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, which included the Holy Land. The declaration was seen as a political move to gain support from Jewish communities in Europe and the United States and secure British interests in the region.
After World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and Britain was granted the mandate to administer Palestine by the League of Nations. Jewish immigration to Palestine increased during the mandate period, and tensions between the Jewish and Arab communities escalated.
In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition plan for Palestine, which called for the establishment of separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem placed under international administration. The plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by Arab leaders. In 1948, the State of Israel was declared, and the subsequent Arab-Israeli War resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs and the annexation of territories by neighboring Arab countries.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has since persisted, with multiple wars and intifadas shaping the modern-day situation in the Holy Land. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the most contentious issues, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming it as their capital.