Final answer:
The Zionist Movement's popularity drastically increased due to the Holocaust, which demonstrated the need for a Jewish homeland. The correct option is b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Zionist Movement began in Europe in the late 1800s, and its popularity drastically increased due to event B, the Holocaust. During World War II, the Nazi Holocaust demonstrated the Zionist thesis that Jews would never be safe in Europe and needed to establish their own homeland. This persecution and extermination of six million Jews further intensified the demand for a Jewish homeland and led to a significant increase in support for the Zionist movement.
The event that led to a drastic increase in the Zionist movement’s popularity was B. The Holocaust. The Zionist Movement, begun by Theodor Herzl at the end of the 19th century, aimed to establish a Jewish homeland in response to pervasive anti-Semitism in Europe. The movement gained some traction but saw a significant increase in popularity after the Holocaust, as it seemed to confirm the Zionist thesis that Jews would never be safe in Europe and needed an independent homeland. The British hesitated to allow Jewish refugees to resettle in Palestine due to opposition from Palestinian Arabs and nearby Arab states, despite the Jewish community's establishment of a defense force, the Haganah. After the Holocaust and WWII, there was global sympathy for the plight of the Jewish people, leading to increased support for Zionism and ultimately the emergence of the modern state of Israel in 1948.
The correct option is b.