The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-07-20
THE BAN is RAISED! MILK AND HONEY
WILL FLOW in ONCE BARREN PALESTINE
BY MAURICE WEIDENTHAl.

6Y MAOHICE WEIOEN FAC.
Three thousand years ago IL men
came out of Canaan to the wilder
ness of Paran, carrying a big bunch
of grapes on a stick. This is what
they said of the place they came
from:
I'VE came into the land whittier
thou sentest us, and surely it flow
eth with milk and honey, and this
is the fruit of it,
A few days ago, some latter day
spies sent into Canaan to spy out
the land appeared before a cOnven-
ton of American Ziol!sts at Pitts
burg, with exhibit B. They didn't
have a bunch of grapes from Ca
naan, but, better, they had sundry
bottles of the blood of the grapes Of
the promised land. Furthermore,
they had bottles of olive oil and
strained honey.
"Behold.' said the spies, milk
and honey flow again in Palestine"
Where's the milk was asked.
Unfortunately, we were unable
to bring the COW and the goat was
the reply, but there is plenty of
milk
The report of the spies is true.
There is plenty of milk and honey
and wine and oil in Palestine these
days. The soil of Palestine, for cen
turtles unproductive. is being re-
deemed by modern agricultural
methods 1t bids fair to rival the
Canaan of old for productiveness.
1t only remains for the Zionists to
buy out the latter day Hittites and
sons of Anak, and go in and pos
sess the land.
That is precisely what the Zion
lists propose to do. Indeed, they are
already doing it. For five dollars
any Jew can now buy a third of an
acre of land in Palestine. There
are owners of Promised Land real
estate all over the world. For three
dollars any Jew can have planted
and named after himself an olive
tree in the "Hertzlwald," an olive
forest that is being planted in
Palestine.
They are dreamers and idealists,
these Zionists.
Since the destruction of the tenn
pie at Jerusalem and the dispersion
of Israel over the globe, it has been
part of the Jewish faith to pray
for the restoration of Israel as a
nation This year in exile, next
year in Jerusalem" has been for
centuries an important phrase in
the Hebrew liturgy.
This yearning, this longing, is
still a part of the orthodox Jewish
faith, out its expression has been
eliminated from the prayer book of
Reform Judaism. This branch no
longer believes in Zion. Their Zion
is America, or some other liberal
nation. The orthodox Jew still looks
for the Messiah. The reform Jew
believes in a messianic age, instead
of a personal redeemer.
Since DR.. Herzy of Vienna wrote
his "Judenstaat," there has been
marked revival in the longing tt
return to Jerusalem and re-estab
lish the Jewish nation. This boob
marked the beginning of modern
Zionism, which has spread over the
civilized globe, but which is com
paratively weak in lands where
Jews have civil and religious lib
erty, and strong in such countries
as Russia and Roumania, where the
Jews are prosecuted and oppressed
There are Zionists and Zionists
1t is hard to find two opinions alike
However, though there are man,
subdivisions, the Zionists divide
into two great divisions: The relig
ious Zionists and the practica
Zionists.
The religious Zionists still believe
Ill Il lCotoi otioii Va ioi oN
as a nation. However, they ADM
that work of preparation is neces
sary, and so they heartily join will
the practical Zionists in working
and making sacrifices, that Pales
tine may again blossom like thu
rose.
The practical Zionists are work
; ing like beavers with that end il
view. The Jewish national fund il
q part of the Colonial Trust, whicl
has a capital stock of 2,0OO,OO
pounds sterling, $10,000,000. 1t ha
100. 900 stockholders. the price pc
share being s.. This trust also in
. cludes the AngloLevantine com
pany.
The object of the Jewish Ma
tional fund is the acquisition of LAM
in Palestine. There is already
paid in capital of 100000, secure'
through the sale of stamps, and o
places on the pages of the Colder
Book. through which the names o
donors will be handed down t
posterity.
There is also provision for tn
direct redemption of Palestine fror
nop-Jewish control. by the purchas
of land at S. per dunam-a third Q
an acre. The national fund has ais
established the Herzlwald. Thre
dollars will buy an olive tree in thi
forest. Each tree is named after it