The Denver Jewish news., 1919-04-02
Letters From Our Readers
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE OPPOSI-
TION AMONG SOME OF THE
JEWS TO a JEWISH HOMELAND
IN PALESTINE.

IN PALESTINE.
1t is fact that since the very days
Of the Roman conquest of Palestine,
which caused the Jewish dispersion
all over the world. the Jews have
never ceased to pray or hope for the
returning to. and the regaining of.
tkcir national political Independence
In the land of their ancestors.
The orthodox jew prays daily:
'Ol. Lord, lift up the ensign to
yu ther our cxiles from the four cor
hers of the earth
The liberal jew sings: .-
'.oh while the pure flood of her eyes
Flow for her peoples plight
And Zion's daughter doth arise
And weep the long, long night!
o, then. our Hope ii is not dead,
Our ancient Hope and true
Again the sacred soil to tread
Where David's banners flew
However. at the end of the nine
teenth century. during the political
awakening of the Eastern European
nationalitics which terminated in the
liberation of the Balkan nationalitics
from Turkish oppression, the age
long Jewish romantic aspiration for
national freedom began to take II def
inite form thru the untiring work OF
II Jewish leader. Dr. Herzl. 1t was
MT this time that he submitted TO an
International Jewish congress prac-
trial project. known as Zionisin, for
the >re-establishment of Jewish
homeland in Palestine for those Jews
who cannot or do not want To remain
where they are.
Iiobism rapidly gained sympa thy
lot only among, the Jews, bat also
among non-Iewish statesmen and
authors as, Arthur j. Balfour, George
Eliot. etc. But while with Palestine
under Turkish regime sympathy was
the only thing that those enlightened
Champions of national freedom could
give to the Jews, it resulted during
the rccentAworld war IN something
considerably more than sympathy, i'll
the historic British dcclarut ton pledg-
ing to the Jews an autonomous home
land in Palestine after the war is
over.
Zionism, however. from the very be-
ginning met with opposition, Great
Ing somewhat of a disturbance. with
one class of the Jews, the rich as
/ simulated Jews. About fifteen years
ago n group of so-callcd reform rah-
lis" representing that class in Ger
many. made the first attempt to OBJ
struct Zionism by publishing pro
| test against ZiOnism dcnouncing ii as
antipatriotic' to the countries IN
which the Jews live. That false ac-
r,Isatiun aroused the Indignation of
! the Jews thruout tie world. and only
Helped the spread of the Zionist ideal.
| Another futile attempt at obstruc'
ton was mndc in this country by the
| Conference of American Reform Rnb-
his held last year. who appealed to
President Wilson not to indorse. the
/ /IDHlSl Ut lh' ~"
| conference Tile indirect reply re-
ccivcd from the President in letter
la DIR. Wise. a Zionist leader in this
| country. expressed the President 5
fullest sympathy for the Zionist aspir-
tiuns.
This not only defeated the reform
crs" intentions, hut also lost TO them
most of their former adhcrcntS.
| And now. when the peace confer
rmcc at Paris is about ready to bring
| into realization Great Britains pledge
to the Jews. the remnants of the old
reform clique are trying again 10
block the greatest historical oppor-
iuuity for the Jews. from realization,
lr sending petitions to the peace con-
ference ut Paris, stating that the Jews
do not want Jewish homeland in
Palestine and shamclessly claiming
that they speak in the name of alt
American Jews. in spite of the fact
that the American Jewish Congress
representing almost every Jewish or
-anization in America. recently held.
unanimously pledged the full support