Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

54 | APRIL 22 • 2021 

Churchill and Zionism
L

ast week, I wrote about Winston 
Churchill on the 75th anniversary 
of his famous “Iron Curtain” speech. 
I noted the abundance of pages in the 
William Davidson Digital Archive that 
refer to Churchill, his actions and ideas, 
as his career unfolded in the 20th century. 
It is not an overstatement to say that the 
modern world would be a different place 
without Churchill. 
Churchill has both sup-
porters and critics. Martin 
Gilbert, the late preeminent 
chronicler of Jewish history 
(himself a Jew) in his book 
Churchill and the Jews, con-
cluded that Churchill demon-
strated a lifelong commitment 
to Zionism and opposition to antisemitism. 
One can also find plenty of Churchill 
quotes and actions lauding Jewish culture.

Michael Cohen, professor emeritus 
from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, how-
ever, believes that Churchill’s affinity for 
Jews was a constructed myth. Moreover, 
several Churchill letters from 1937 were 
recently uncovered where he made several 
less-than-flattering comments about Jews.

I briefly wrote about Churchill’s impact 
upon Metro Detroit but did not address a 
larger question. What was his relationship 
with Jews and his impact upon British 
Mandate Palestine and the State of Israel? 
The pages of the Chronicle and the JN
from the 1920s to 1940s have hundreds 
of interesting stories related to Churchill 
and British Mandate Palestine. This area, 
which encompasses modern Israel, was 
given to British control or “mandate” after 
the conclusion of WWI. Several stories 
in the Chronicle cite Churchill’s vigorous 
defense of the Balfour Declaration and the 
U.K.’s obligation to support a Jewish home-
land. He was an outspoken critic of the 
Parliamentary “White Paper” in 1930 that 
restricted Jewish immigration to Palestine.
In the 1940s, the Chronicle and the JN
closely followed the events of WWII. The 

actions of Churchill — and Roosevelt and 
other Allied leaders — appear on hundreds 
of pages. It soon becomes obvious that 
Churchill was the stubborn, inspiration-
al and tough wartime leader that Great 
Britain needed. 
Along with praise for his successes, 
there are critical questions. For example, 
why was Churchill so slow to authorize 
a Jewish Brigade to fight in WWII? Why 
did he not do more for Jewish refugees 
from Nazi aggression, including increased 
immigration to Palestine? Should 
Churchill have 
ordered the bomb-
ing of Auschwitz, 
an act which some 
thought might save 
thousands of Jewish 
lives even if incar-
cerated Jews might 
be killed? By the way, 
these same questions 
were leveled against 
Roosevelt and other 
Allied leaders.

Like most great 
world leaders, including 
Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt, David Ben- 
Gurion or Golda Meir, Churchill possessed 
some sterling attributes, along with some 
flaws in character. These other leaders also 
had to deal with the politics of Congress, 
Parliament or the Knesset, and they all 
faced one overriding issue: wars of monu-
mental scale, wars that, if lost, could mean 
the end of their nations. It is also always 
good to keep in mind that they were prod-
ucts of their time, not of the 21st century. 
In this context, Churchill was a realist.
On the balance, it seems that Churchill 
was a supportive Zionist and opposed 
antisemitism. The JN reached this same 
conclusion upon his death — see the edito-
rial in the Jan. 29, 1965, issue. 
But you can decide, and the Davidson 
Archive is a good source for the history of 
Churchill. 

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

from Nazi aggression, including increased 
immigration to Palestine? Should 

ordered the bomb-

an act which some 
thought might save 
thousands of Jewish 

cerated Jews might 
be killed? By the way, 
these same questions 
were leveled against 
Roosevelt and other 

world leaders, including 
Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt, David Ben- 
Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt, David Ben- 
Gurion or Golda Meir, Churchill possessed 
some sterling attributes, along with some 
flaws in character. These other leaders also 
had to deal with the politics of Congress, 

faced one overriding issue: wars of monu-
mental scale, wars that, if lost, could mean 
the end of their nations. It is also always 
good to keep in mind that they were prod-
ucts of their time, not of the 21st century. 

On the balance, it seems that Churchill 

conclusion upon his death — see the edito-

But you can decide, and the Davidson 

Archive is a good source for the history of 

Abraham Lincoln, Roosevelt, David Ben- 

