The historic Balfour Declara-
tion was issued on Nov. 2, 1917.
It was preceded by two decades
of Zionist political activities in-
augurated by Dr. Theodor
Herzl. It is the contention of
Dr. Oskar K. Rabinowicz, dis-
tinguished Jewish scholar and
author, that the idea which be-
came British policy "was the
result of those foundations
which Herzl's genius had es-
tablished 15 years previously in
the consciousness of the Jews
and the world, and in the minds
of the British statesmen whom
Providence preserved for the
fullfilment of the great Zionist
leader's dream."
Dr. Rabinowicz proves his
point in his new book, "Herzl-
Architect of the Balfour Dec-
laration," published by the
Theodor Herzl Foundation. The
book is an expanded text of a
paper read before the Theodor
Herzl Institute.
Recognizing the values of the
efforts of leaders like Chaim
Weizmann, Nahum Sokolow and
others who acted in behalf of
the World Zionist Organization;
of Vladimir Jabotinsky who
created the Jewish Regiments
who fought with the Allies in
World War I, and of American
leaders like Louis D. Brandeis,
Stephen S. Wise and their as-
sociates, Dr. Rabinowicz re-
views the efforts of Dr. Herzl
who, in his conferences with
British leaders, . and in his ap-
peals in behalf, of the Jewish
State he had envisioned, estab-
lished the foundation for Brit-
ish action in support of the
Jewish National Home.
* * *
Dr. Herzl's activities, are
traced to his efforts in Eng-
land in October 1902, to the
Fourth Zionist Congress held in
London Aug. 13-16, 1900. about
which he states: "It was thanks
to the reports of the general
press on the Congress that Zion-
ism had penetrated into every
strata of English society and,
no doubt, into government cir-
cles."
Then came the testimony of
Dr. Herzl before the Royal
Commission on Alien Immigra-
tion, appointed by the British
government, on May 22, 1902.
The interest in Zionism that re
sulted from his statement and
the questions posed to him left
indelible impressions.
Leading members of the Brit-
ment papers. Balfour, we are
told, studied the reports which
quoted Herzl's ideas "with due
care and attention."
Joseph Chamberlain was
among the first to whom Herzl
presented his Zionist views and
he was among those who gave
a friendly ear to the Jewish
leader. Lord Lansdowne was an-
other to whom "Herzl gave un-
qualified information on Zion-
ism." Although Herzl sought
temporary havens in other
lands outside of Palestine for
oppressed Jews, Dr. Rabbin-
owicz insisted that he never
abandoned the idea of Palestine
as the Jewish Homeland.
* * * •
Of special interest in Dr.
Rabinowicz's book are the com-
parisons between the texts of
the Draft for a Charter for pro-
posed Jewish colonization in
East Africa, submitted by
Greenberg to Chamberlain, on
Herzl's instructions, in 1903,
with the "Outline of a Pro-
gramme for a New Administra-
DR. THEODOR HERZL
tion of Palestine and for a Jew-
ish government and leaders of ish Resettlement of Palestine
the Jewish community partici- in accordance with the aspira-
pated in the discussions on tion of the Zionist Movement,"
Zionism, and the idea took root submitted to British authorities
in those early years. Criticisms in October 1916. "The identity
of Herzl by Weizmann are dis- of approach and conception is
counted, and Dr. Rabinowicz indeed astonishing," Dr. Rabin-
holds to the thesis that, actual- owicz states, thus indicating ad-
ly, the approaches of the two ditionally Herzl's influence upon
leaders were alike in many re- the subsequent issuance of the
spects. Balfour's comments on Balfour Declaration.
To Dr. Rabinowicz, who
Jews and their problems are
quoted and Dr. Rabinowicz strongly defends the Herzlian
states that "it is impossible to Zionist loyalties, the fact that
trace one single difference in one proposal for East Africa
anything that Balfour said and the other for Palestine
about Jews before and after "creates no difference between
the conversation with Weiz- them from the point of view of
an autonomous national settle-
mann" in 1906.
ment." To emphasize his point,
* * *
As early as 1900, it is indi- Dr. Rabinowicz declares that
cated, there was raised the ques- while anti-Herzlians have always
tion of dual loyalty of a Zionist declared that "Herzl's biggest
and English Jew, and Herzl's ideological crime was "to re-
conception that they are com- gard Jewish misery, Jewish ref-
ugees and Jewish homelessness
patible was vindicated.
as Zionism's strongest weapon
Many British leaders were im- vis-a-viz the non-Jewish world,"
pressed with the Herzlian idea, they always resorted to it them-
and the work of the late Leo- selves, and he adds:
pold Greenberg, Herzl's repre-
"Fate so decided that, twice
sentative in London, is credited
with having contributed a great in his lifetime, Weizmann,
deal towards the early effective- the most outspoken critic of
Herzl on this issue, when con-
ness of Herzlian Zionism.
fronted with reality, had to
Early documents considered fall back on Herzl's political
by Dr. Rabinowicz are quoted to method and instrument—the
show that Herzl's ideas were JUDENNOT."
incorporated in official govern-
* * *
Dr. Rabinowicz's book has the
additional merit of containing
the references to the men who
played important roles in Brit-
ish politics in 1902 and 1903,
by their participation in the dis-
cussions raised by Herzl or by
having come in direct contact
with Herzl. Included among
them are the eminent non-Jews,
Arthur James Balfour, David
Lloyd George and Lord Alfred
Milner; and those who were in-
fluenced by Herzlianism, —
Lord Cromer, Sir Alfred Grey,
and Henry Wickham Steed,
among others.
Dr. Rabinowicz states, in his
defense of the claim that Herzl
was the architect of the Balfour
Declaration: "He laid the foun-
dations upon which Weizmann,
with great skill, built the struc-
ture of the home which, finally,
David Ben-Gurion, with daring
and vision, was able to proclaim
as the Jewish State."
This book on Herzl and the
Herzlian ideas is a very valu-
able addition to the library on
the history of Zionism. It is, in
truth, a history of the Herzlian
Israel's geologists have located valuable chemical and
idea which must be included
mineral sources in the Negev, and are exploiting them with
in every Zionist library if such
the aid of Israel Bond dollars. In a new plant near Machtesh
a library is to be considered
Ramon, along the Elath-Beersheba highway, which was also
complete.
financed by Israel Bonds, gypsum-bearing rock is fed into a
crusher as the first step in its processing. The workman is an
"No government ought to be
immigrant from North Africa, one of many thousands who without censors; and where the
have been helped to become self-sufficient as a result of in-
press is free none ever will be."
dustrial development made possible by Bond sales.
—Thomas Jefferson
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7-THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, O ctober 3,
Dr. Herd Called Architect
of the Balfour Declaration
C/3
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