The Basel Program, adopted on August 30, 1897, at the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, is the foundational political manifesto of the Zionist movement. Authored by a committee led by Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism, the program established the goals and methods of the movement, including the core objective of establishing a publicly guaranteed homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. It emphasized practical measures such as promoting Jewish settlement in Palestine and securing governmental recognition for the homeland, while also founding the World Zionist Organization to coordinate these efforts. The program was unanimously accepted by 208 delegates from 17 countries, marking a pivotal moment in organizing global Jewish efforts toward national revival and addressing challenges such as antisemitism and the Jewish diaspora in Europe. Zionism was positioned as a political, rather than solely religious, endeavor. The Basel Program’s declaration stated: "Zionism seeks to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine secured under public law." Although it was superseded in 1951 by the Jerusalem Program, which expanded Zionism’s aims to include the development of Israel as a Jewish state and strengthening Jewish identity worldwide, the Basel Program remains a cornerstone document symbolizing the movement’s initial commitment to sovereignty and self-determination. Its legacy is evident in the eventual establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, though it also provoked debates and criticisms regarding territorial claims and international relations.