Our people first entered the land of Israel over 3,300 years ago. Yet over the years they were expelled or persecuted and forced to leave. As long as we have been away from the Land of Israel, our people have always yearned and attempted to return.
The current Yishuv - Jewish settlement can be traced to a number of major Aliyot - Group Immigrations over the past 500 years.
A fascinating discussion about the movement to settle the Land of Israel