▁Dun ant ▁( found er ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁and ▁author ▁of ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Con vent ions ), ▁and ▁scient ist ▁and ▁human itar ian ▁Frid t j of ▁N ansen ▁from ▁Norway . ▁ ▁The ▁French ▁government , ▁through ▁Minister ▁M . ▁Camb on , ▁formally ▁committed ▁itself ▁to ▁"...   the ▁r ena issance ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁national ity ▁in ▁that ▁Land ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Israel ▁were ▁ex iled ▁so ▁many ▁centuries ▁ago ." ▁ ▁In ▁China , ▁top ▁figures ▁of ▁the ▁National ist ▁government , ▁including ▁Sun ▁Y at - sen , ▁expressed ▁their ▁sympathy ▁with ▁the ▁asp ir ations ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁people ▁for ▁a ▁National ▁Home . ▁ ▁Christian ▁Z ion ism ▁▁▁ ▁Some ▁Christians ▁have ▁act ively ▁supported ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁Jews ▁to ▁Palest ine ▁even ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁Z ion ism , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁subsequently . ▁An ita ▁Sh api ra , ▁a ▁history ▁professor ▁emer ita ▁at ▁Tel ▁Av iv ▁University , ▁suggests ▁that ▁evangel ical ▁Christian ▁rest oration ists ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁' pass ed ▁this ▁notion ▁on ▁to ▁Jewish ▁circles '. ▁Evangel ical ▁Christian ▁anticip ation ▁of ▁and ▁political ▁lo bb ying ▁within ▁the ▁UK ▁for ▁Rest oration ism ▁was ▁w ides p read ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 s ▁and ▁common ▁before hand . ▁It ▁was ▁common ▁among ▁the ▁Pur it ans ▁to ▁anticip ate ▁and ▁frequently ▁to ▁pray ▁for ▁a ▁Jewish ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁hom eland . ▁