▁W iss ot z ky ▁visited ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land , ▁about ▁which ▁he ▁later ▁wrote ▁a ▁book . ▁In ▁that ▁year , ▁W iss ot z ky , ▁who ▁founded ▁the ▁tea ▁company ▁carrying ▁his ▁name ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 , ▁was ▁already ▁a ▁wealth y ▁and ▁influ ential ▁man , ▁and ▁was ▁called ▁" the ▁Russian ▁king ▁of ▁tea ". ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁prominent ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁proto - Z ion ist ▁H ove ve i ▁Z ion ▁movement ▁and ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Bil u ▁movement , ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁the ▁movement ▁sent ▁him ▁to ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Israel ▁following ▁an ▁argument ▁with ▁the ▁heads ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁Y ish uv , ▁regarding ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁funds ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land ▁from ▁the ▁Jewish ▁di as por a . ▁H ove ve i ▁Z ion ▁thought ▁the ▁money ▁should ▁be ▁spent ▁on ▁found ing ▁new ▁Jewish ▁colon ies , ▁while ▁the ▁heads ▁of ▁the ▁Y ish uv , ▁naturally ▁disag re ed . ▁W iss ot z ky ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁tour ing ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁find ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁solving ▁the ▁debate , ▁while ▁keeping ▁everyone ▁happy . ▁ ▁W iss ot z ky ▁Te a ▁soon ▁gained ▁devoted ▁customers ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁▁ 1 9 0 0 – 1 9 1 9 ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 0