People who played important roles in the definition, historical development and growth of the modern Zionist movement:
A–B
Sarah Aaronsohn (1890–1917), born and died in Ottoman Syria/Ottoman Empire (now Israel), member of the Nili Jewish spy ring (working for the British)
Gershon Agron (1890s–1959), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), immigrated to Palestine during the First World War when fighting in the Jewish Legion, founder of The Jerusalem Post
Abba Ahimeir (1897–1962), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), immigrated to Mandatory Palestine, c.1924, active in Revisionist Zionism
Sholem Aleichem (1859–1916) born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), left for New York after witnessing the 1905 pogroms; advocated Zionism in his writings
Shulamit Aloni (1928–2014), born in Poland, active in Zionist youth movement, later Israeli politician
Chaim Arlosoroff (1899–1933), born in Romny, Russian Empire (Ukraine), leader of the Yishuv during the British Mandate in Palestine
David Baazov (1883–1947), born in Tskhinvali, Russian Empire (Georgia/South Ossetia), public and religious figure involved in the Zionist movement in Georgia/Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Shulamit Bat-Dori (1904–1985), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), migrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1923, dramatist founded kibbutz theatre
Menachem Begin (1913–1992), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), leader of the militant Irgun group, later prime minister of Israel
David Ben-Gurion (1886–1973), born in Congress Poland (then Russian Empire), founder and first prime minister of Israel
Mordechai Bentov (1900–1985), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1920, one of the founders of the Kibbutz Movement, later an Israeli politician
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (1858–1922) born in the Vilna Governorate (Russian Empire), Hebrew lexicographer and language revivalist
Hugo Bergmann (1883–1975) born in Austria-Hungary, immigrated to Palestine in 1920
Max Bodenheimer (1865–1940), German-born lawyer and associate of Theodor Herzl, settled in Palestine in 1935
Dov Ber Borochov (1881–1917), born in Zolotonosha (Russian Empire/Ukraine), involved in founding Poale Zion party, Yiddish philologist
Max Brod (1884–1968), born in Prague (then in Bohemia), Zionist from 1912, settled in Mandatory Palestine in 1939
C–H
Rachel Cohen-Kagan (1888–1982), born in Odessa, activist and Israeli politician
Abba Eban (1915–2002), born in South Africa, active in the Youth movement and the World Zionist Organization, later Israeli politician
Senta Josephtal (1912–2007), born in Germany, joined the HaBonim movement in 1933, immigrated to Palestine in 1938, later Israeli politician
Zvi Hirsch Kalischer (1795–1874), German (Prussian) Orthodox Rabbi, one of Zionism's earliest pioneers in the country
Berl Katznelson (1887–1944), born in present-day Belarus, founder of the Histadrut (Jewish trade union) in Palestine during the British mandate
Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935), born in the Russian Empire (now Latvia), religious Zionist, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, later Palestine, during the British Mandate period
Saul Raphael Landau (1870–1943), Polish lawyer, journalist and Zionist activist
Moshe Leib Lilienblum (1843–1910), born in the Russian Empire (Lithuania) scholar, early advocate of reestablishment of the Jews in Palestine
Emma Levine-Talmi[3] (1905–2004), born in the Russian Empire (Poland); moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1924, later an Israeli politician
Golda Meir (1898–1978), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1921, former prime minister of Israel
Samuel Mohilever (1824–1898), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus) Religious Zionist, a founder of the Hovevei Zion
Max Nordau (1849–1923), born in the Austrian Empire (Hungary), involved in the foundation of the Zionist Organisation (later World Zionist Organisation)
Erna Patak (1871–1955), Austrian social worker and women's activist
Leon Pinsker (1821–1891), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), founder/leader of Hovevei Zion
Haviva Reik (1914–1944), parachutist born in the Kingdom of Hungary (Slovakia); member of underground Palmach (Haganah elite force) in Mandatory Palestine
Isaac Rülf (1831–1902), Rabbi born in Hesse-Kassel (Germany), advocated a Jewish home in Palestine, became aware of the dangers from German antisemitism
Arthur Ruppin (1876–1943), born in the German Empire (Prussia), moved to Palestine in 1907 and organized Jewish immigration
Pinhas Rutenberg (1879–1942), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine), engineer and activist, settled in Mandatory Palestine in 1919
Moshe Sharett (1894–1965), born in the Russian Empire (Ukraine) settled in Ottoman Palestine in 1906, journalist and activist, later an Israeli politician
Abraham Stern (1907–1942), born in the Russian Empire (Poland), immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1925, one of the leaders of the Irgun and Lehi militant group (sometimes known as the Stern gang)
Nachman Syrkin (also known as Nahum Syrkin, 1868–1924), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), founder of Labor Zionism
Hannah Szenes (1921–1944), born in Hungary, migrated to Mandatory Palestine, active in the Haganah, parachutist with the British SOE
Henrietta Szold (1860–1945), Zionist leader and founder of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America
Joseph Trumpeldor (1880–1920), born in the Russian Empire, involved in the organisation of the Zion Mule Corps which assisted in Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine
Menachem Ussishkin (1863–1941), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), leader of the Jewish National Fund
Chaim Weizmann (1874–1952), born in the Russian Empire (Belarus), biochemist, founder of Synthetic Zionism and first president of Israel
Felix Weltsch (1884–1964), born in Bohemia (Czech Republic), librarian, philosopher, author, editor, publisher and journalist involved with the Zionist newspaper Selbstwehr (self-defense)
Robert Weltsch (1891–1982), born in Prague (then Austria-Hungary, present-day Czech Republic), journalist and editor active in Brit Shalom
Orde Wingate (1903–1944), non-Jewish British army officer who trained the Haganah
L. L. Zamenhof (1859–1917), born in Białystok (then in the Russian Empire, now Poland), ophthalmologist and creator of Esperanto, briefly active in Hovevei Zion
Israel Zangwill (1864–1926), British author, cultural Zionist involved in the Jewish Territorial Organization