El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-06-12
Letters To The Herald
OTHER SIDE OF zIONIsM.

Editor Fl Paso Herald:
Rabbi Martin Zielonka Is dissatls-
fled with the provision Of the san
Reno conference which makes IL
possible for a Jewish citizen OF the
United States. England. France. or
any other country TO be at the same
time a citizen Of Palestine. This pro-
vision IS OF the greatest importance
to Zionism; without Il the new Jew
ish state which, in order to develop
her industry viii require the capital
and personal presence OF Jews who
live abroad, would be greatly i'm
peded in her progress
Reasons for establishing a national
home for Jews are 50 obvious and
many, that the rabbits failure TO see
them can only be explained BY his
looking upon the Jewish question
from the standpoint of an American
Jew. who. born IN this good, free
country, naturally cannot see why
Jews should want a country Of their
own. The rabbi maintains that each
land whereof the Jews are loyal citi-
zens Is the national home for those
Jews. But he seems to have forgot
ten about Rumania, where Jews al
though born there and loyal. are not
recognized as citizens; about Poland,
where millions OF Jews are boycotted
IN every way Are these Jews TO be
blamed for wanting to have their
own country A wave OF anti-semit-
ism IS spreading all over Europe and
caused BY the economical competition
OF the Jews. It promises TO be Of
long duration. Jews. as long as they
viii live their own lives as Jews. viii
always, no matter how loyal they are
be Disseminated against and looked
upon as foreigners Nothing but
thorough assimilation can be expected
TO end this discrimination But are
the Jews ready for this Assimilation
Many OF them doubtless are, but the
majority Is not thinking OF surrender
ing, and IS willing TO continue the
struggle OF their forefathers, who.
through centuries OF martyrdom and
prosecutions. stuck to their religious
beliefs. Hitherto the Jewish race
has been preserved by It's strong ad-
herence to its faith, but with the
growing apathy Of its members to-
ward religion, the probability is that
in few generations the Jewish race,
unless something viii happen that
viii give II a new lease on life. viii
be thoroughly absorbed by the ma
tons Of the world
It IS this menace Of assimilation
and total extinction that the Zionists
are fighting The survival OF the
Jews and their religion can only be
assured IN their own homeland The
rabbits argument IN opposing the Civ
I ing away OF Palestine TO the Jews
on the ground that TO allow the
q
/ Palestine, TO impose their rule upon
/ the Arabians, who are the majority
would be contrary TO the principles
/ OF democracy and self determination
/ Of small nations Jews. have never
ceased to consider Palestine as their
[ land, from which they were Temporal
/ ily driven, but 20 which in the end
! they will be returned with the COM
/ ing OF Messiah. Palestine was al
Z ways called by them "Eretz Irsael.
| the land Of Israel Three times daily
! orthodox Jews all over the world
pray for the restoration OF Zion
/ Failure by the san Reno confer
l ence TO confirm the Balfour declara-
/ ton would cause the greatest disap-
| pointment to Jews; Il would disillu-
l sion them in their 1000 year old
J dream. and bring them TO the relaiza-
I ton that all their suffering and sac
] rifices OF the past have been in vain.
/ The probability OF the rabbi S
I plan for solving the Jewish question
Z by alloting the Jews a missionary
/ destiny can be Judged by an histori-
] cal event, about a thousand years ago
I in Russia. when that country, looking
/ for religion, invited Christians, MO-
! hammedans and Jews. TO present
l their respective faiths. When the
| Jewish missionaries presented their
! religion. they were told that their
I faith must be unsatisfactory TO God,
] Il He has driven them out OF their
! land and dispersed them all over the
| world.
Jews IN dispersion can never as
/ sumo the role Of missionaries. II is
! only from the heights Of Zion BIZ a
people free and unhandicapped, that
/ the greatness and beauty Of Judaism
/ can be illustrated TO the world
Carl Halpern-