Wolfgang von Weisl

Wolfgang Johannes (Binyamin Ze'ev), Ritter von Weisl, Hebrew: בנימין זאב (וולפגנג) פון וייזל (וייסל)‎ (1896, in Vienna – February 24,1974, in Gedera) was one of the founders of the Revisionist movement and a leader in the Zionist struggle for establishing a Jewish state.

For Weisl junior, Zionism meant living in the Land of Israel, at the time Ottoman, then British Mandate Palestine, participation in its building and defence, and the struggle to ensure its independence toward the return to Zion.

[citation needed] At the age of 11 (1907) Wolfgang von Weisl launched his Zionist path with his first political article with a call to transport Yemenite Jews to the land of Israel.

"[citation needed] In 1924 Wolfgang von Weisl launched a career as the representative of Ullstein, the publication house, to the Near East and the Islamic countries.

Dr. Herman Badet, of the Prussian Interior Ministry, a religious Jew, read together with Weisl from the Esther Scroll while the Zeppelin hovered above the city of Tel Aviv to the excited cheers of the crowd below.

Eulogies are published around the world and in one of them he is mentioned as the Mark Twain of the German language, postcards with his picture are sold, trees are planted in his honour and prayers are given for his recovery.

[citation needed] On 1 September 1946, jailed in Latrun, Weisl wrote to the British High Commissioner: "… I have the honour to inform you that I shall abstain from taking food for a period of 28 days… I am well aware of the fact that neither my fasting nor that of anybody else will influence the attitude or the decisions of the men who rule today over Palestine and who, apparently, regard it as their duty to hinder by all means the return of Israel to its Home…" and turned from an unusual and controversial leader – even in his own party – to a national hero.

[citation needed] "[O]ne of the most fascinating and picturesque characters", "the story of his life can fill a few volumes", "legends surrounded him", "the man with the golden pen", "a genius", "a prophet", but also "a charlatan", "Don Quixote", "an adventurer" and "a fascist".