General Zionism - Definition and Overview

General Zionists were centrists within the Zionist movement. The term was used to describe members of the Zionist Organization who were not members of any particular faction at a time when the Zionist movement was becoming polarized between Labour Zionists and Revisionist Zionism. In 1922, various non-aligned groups and individuals established the Organization of General Zionists as a non-ideological party witin the ZO. Eventually, however, General Zionists became identified with European liberal and middle class beliefs in private property and capitalism. From 1931 to 1945 the General Zionist movement was divided into two factions due to differences over social issues, economics and labour issues (ie the Histadrut). In the years following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the General Zionists moved towards the right in opposition to the hemony of the Mapai party and the Labour Zionist movement over Israeli politics.

General Zionists were represented in the Knesset for the first 13 years of Isreal's existence and were, at one point, the second largest party. They joined with other centrist groups to run as the Israeli LIberal Party in 1961 and then joined with the right wing Herut movement to run as the Gahal electoral bloc which ultimately became the modern Likud party.