POALEI ZION

Poalei Zion: translation

Literally "workers ofZion"; aZionistsocialist workers'political partythat began in Russia, Austria, and theUnited Statesin the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Influenced by the writings of the socialist Zionist theoretician,Dov Ber Borochov, Poalei Zion's platform was based on Marxist principles developed along nationalist lines. The party's worldwide movement was continually involved in arguments on such fundamental issues as cooperativesettlementactivity inEretz Israelinitiated by the labor class, membership in the Zionist Movement (which included members of the bourgeoisie), and the party's relationship to the Communist International.