This in-depth study traces the roots of the Zionist idea and its emergence in the context of the so called Jewish "Enlightenment", or the "Haskala", during the nineteenth century. It sheds light on the contradictions between Zionism as a modern ideology and the Judaic tradition as a religious belief. The study analyzes the cultural tensions and the problems of identity resulting from the clash between two contradictory approaches to the Jewish existence and future. It also examines the various problems and issues arising from the creation of the state of Israel, with regards to Arab-Jewish relations as well as Jewish-Israeli relations.