The American Jewish world. [volume] (Minneapolis ;) 1915-current, 1921-06-03
JEWISH TROOPS.
By Vladimir Jabotinsky,

Member of World Zionist Executive.
When the Jewish Legion movement
began in the spring Of 1915 its initia-
tors stated quite clearly that they con-
sidered their scheme as of even more
Importance for peace than for war
time. Subsequent events have given
ample confederation of this point of
view. We need not recall these events
in detail; it will be enough to men
ton the Jerusalem riots of April,
1920, which would never have oc-
cured had not four-fifths of the Jew
ish contingent been demobilized some
six months before that date.
Moreover, Jewish troops in Pales-
tine are indispensable not only to
prevent the recurrence Of anti-Jewis
riots. The justification Of their main
tenance lies far deeper. The Brit
ish taxpayer, however sympathetic,
shrinks from what may look like pay
ing out of his own pocket for the
establishment of Jewish National
Home in Palestine; and he is at least
as reluctant to let his sons take any
risks for the sake of the Jews and
of their Zionist aspirations. There
should be no mistake about this: the
clearer we realize it the better for us.
Should anything happen in Palestine
or on it's frontiers resulting in casual
ties, strong resentment would newt
ably follow even among those circles
of the British public which, as for
instance, organized Labor, have al
way given Zionism their whole-heart-
ed support. The event itself might
be quite unconnected with any Zion
list or Jewish issue; it might be just
a mere frontier skirmish with a
Bedouin tribe, such as could easily
happen in any country on the bord-
ers of civilizations; but all our enc
mics would say that it occurred be-
cause of Zionism, and some of our
friends would believe it. A few cases
of this kind could weaken our politi-
cal position enormously. Even now
that Palestine is the quietest corner
of the Middle East our opponents are
constantly hammering on this main
point: that Great Britain "can only
promote Zionism by keeping large
army in Palestine." We know, and so
do just the loudest Of antagonists,
that the armed force required to keep
order in Palestine will, as soon as
general peace is established, sink
naturally to a very moderate size.
But the battle cry, GAIL trouble is due
to Zionism," might become danger
ously popular. And, should the slight
est trouble really occur, and should a
list of casualties contain English-or
Indian-names only, even the best of
our friends in London would feel heav-
lily handicapped in their defence of a
pro-Zionist policy.
Such lists of casualties-should SO
sorrowful contingency ever arise
must contain Jewish names. This is
not only dictate Of justice-this is a
dictate of political safety. The Jew
ish Legion must become one of the
main points of the political program
of Zionism.
This involves a financial problem
which will soon have to be faced and
solved. The British taxpayer is over
burdened with rates and taxes, and
one of the most irritating heads of
expenditure is the Army. It only
cost him 28,O0O,00o pounds before the
war; the estimates for 1922 include
26 millions "for Mesopotamia and
Palestine" alone. More than four
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