The ‘army’ met publicly for the first time on 29 August 1897 in the great hall of the Basel Municipal Casino.180 It called itself the First Zionist Congress and included delegates from sixteen countries. They were mostly poor men. Herzl had to finance the congress from his own pocket. But he made them dress up: ‘Black formal clothes and white ties must be worn at the festival opening session.’ Thus attired, they greeted him with the ancient Jewish cry, ‘Yechi Hamelech!’ (‘Long live the King!’)
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