ZIONISM / OATHS-----ezra and the olei bavel

Was Ezra wrong in leading the Jews back to Eretz Yisrael "before the exile was over"? Did all the Jews who returned to Eretz Yisrael from Galus Bavel WITH THE PERMISSION of Darius (just as the Jews this century returned with permission from the British) sin?

The only way the Jews knew that the 1st Exile was over was that they ended it themselves when they had the opportunity (under Darius). How is what the Zionists did different?

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You are making a number of mistakes. Please see the Ramban in Sefer HaGeulah, at the end of Shaar 1. He says:

Only a small amount of Jews - about 1,500 - went with Ezra to Eretz Yisroel. The rest did not. It is possible that Coresh only gave permission to Yehuda to come back; or, alternately, it is possible that Coresh did give all Jews permission to return, but the rest of the Jews did not return because they held that the decree of 70 years of Golus and its current end (through prophesies and pesukim) only applied to Bavel. And therefore, they did not go up to Eretz Yisroel with Ezra because - this is a quote - "they did not want to end the time of Golus early".

So, first, the Jews knew the Golus was over because of the prophecy of 70 years. Second, even though Coresh gave permission to all Jews to return, those to whom the prophecy and pesukim that told them the golus was over did not apply, refused to go back, because that would be ending the golus early.

Besides this, there is a tremendous difference between the permission Coresh gave and the Balfour declaration. That is, in Coresh's time, the ascent was not resisted by the nations living in Eretz Yisroel at the time.

As opposed to 148, where, although it's nice that the British allowed the Jews to return, but the nations living in the land at the time adamantly refused to allow it. The rebellion against the nations in 1948 was not against England or China or Canada - it was taking the land against the will of its then-residents.

In fact, less than 24 hours after the establishment of the State of Israel, the combined forces of the neighboring Arab nations attacked them, creating such a bloodabth that 6,000 Jews were killed in - which equalled one percent of every Jew living in Eretz Yisroel at the time. Who says this is called a peaceful ascent?

Second, the Balfour declaration is NOT a blanked permission slip for the Jews to come and take over Eretz Yisroel. Although that's what the Zionists said then, they were told time and time again - by the governments of the nations they wanted support from - that it is not so. Please see the websites quoted in my post on Life / Other / Israel / 9 February 2001 8:26.