Ahad Ha'am's deep mistrust of the gentile world informs the cultural Zionism he espouses.

He rejects Herzl's notion that the nations of the world will encourage Jews to move and establish a Jewish state.

He believes that only through Jewish self-reliance and careful preparation will the Zionist enterprise succeed.

Ahad Ha'am's concept of a vanguard cultural elite establishing a foothold in Palestine will prove quixotic, but his idea of piecemeal settlement in Palestine and the establishment of a Zionist infrastructure will become an integral part of the Zionist movement.