Evening star., 1922-04-18
DISCUSSES RABBI L0EB'S
PLEA FOR AID TO ZIONlSM
CORRESPONDENT Sees No Justification
for .ewish Claim Of Inheriting
Palestine.
To II Editor Of The Star:

/ To IL editor Of The Star:
| 1 have read the article published In
The Star of April 5. captioned. "Plea
| for Support of Zionist Cause. In
winch Rabbi Loeb asks the aid of the
American people, and gives the "rea-
sons upon which he bases his plea.
agree with the rabbi that lit Is
| largely to the interest of the Ameri-
can reading public to be correctly in
! formed" and therefore ! beg you to
| allow me to state few facts to your
| readers.
The writer criticises the Northcline
| papers because they are supporting
/ the people of Palestine and their dele
CATION in London against Lionistic
| agsressions. Lord Northcline was a
; strong advocate of Zionism until MS
recent visit to the Holy Land, during
| which he studied the country, It's
| government and its people, and. as a
result. became convinced that the
! claims of the Zionists are unfoundeo'
unjust and impossible of fulnllment.
| He found the situation there entfreiy
different from that usually painted py
| the Zionists, and therefore ne oecIo-
ed to withdraw his support from them
| and tell his readers the truth ABOUT
Palestine and Zionism-
; TIE Zionists have no valid historic
or religious claim upon Palestine. and
have not submitted single sound ar
Sument in support of their preten-
tions. 1t is true that the Israelites
of old occupied the country for rev
centuries, but number Qf other ma
tions also occupied it in the past. and
If we are to recognize the claims OF
the Zionists we would be oDiiged 70
recognize the claims of the other ma
tions as we'll According to the same
reasoning. Spain should be given back
to the Arabs and England to the de-
scendants of the Romans. On what
principle of logic can the jews JUS
tify their claim to Palestine, a coun-
try which their forefathers conquered
and occupied for a short perfod, out
which they abandoned more than 1000
years ago?
The absurdity of the religious claim
of the Zionists appears when we re,
member that the Christians regard
themselves as the spiritual children
of Abraham, and as such look upon
Palestine as their Inheritance. They
deny that the Jews are still the
"chosen people" of God, and hold that
all promises made to them prior TO
the coming of Christ have automatic
ally been transferred to the Chrls-
tians. The Mohammedans also consid-
er Jerusalem one of the holiest. placer 3
of islam, and will not relinquish theis
hold upon it voluntarily.
claims should prevail? l think 1t Is
best. in this age of reason and en-
lightenment, to disregard the re-
Iigious side of the case and decide 1t
according to the principles OF human
Justice. Furthermore. the ZionistS DO
not represent Israel. because not all
Jews are Zionists. The native Jews
Of Palestine itself. for example. have
openly declared against Zionism; and
during Lord Northcliffe's visit sent
a delegation to him protesting
against the Zionist movement and the
activities of the Zionists
Palestine is not deserted country
which is open for settlement by peo-
pie with colonial ambitions. The
country has a population Of 100000.
and while it may be possible Tor the
soil to support a few thousand people
more, no one will imagine that that
strip OF land could hold all the mil
lions of Jews scattered throughout
the world, or even those In eastern
Europe alone. The people OF Pales-
tine are not nomads or robbers, but
peaceful farmers attached to the soil /;
they are not parasites, middlemen or
profiteers, but hard-working people
who earn their living by honest toll.
I do not understand what the gen.
tleman responsible for the statement.
IAN Arab body polite already was
| created in the Hedjaz government re-
Gently, and surely no two ArabfaS are
desired in the scheme of democracy
i and self rule" Is the establishment
i of free government in the Hedjaz
! sufficient reason for depriying the
\ Palestinians OF their rights? Both
Palestine and Hedjaz speak the
| Arabic language. it is true, but
neither of them Is an Arabia" II
! this absurd argument were to be fol-
lowed. to its logical conclusion. then
we could deprive Chile for, instance
of it's independence because there Il
free government In. Argentine, and
/ both countries speak Spanish.
+ The statement that the Hebrew
Bible language was restored as q
! living tongue among the populace
young and DID," is unwartanted, and
cannot see how responsible per-
son can make it. Hebrew Is not
spoken in Palestine, except by few
| over-enthusiastic Zionists, and while
it was decreed by the present pro-
Zionist administration that Hebrew
should be considered as an official
English. it is notorious that the
! Arabic speaking natives, who are %
| per cent of the total population, have
| fought this decree vigorously, and Its
repeal is expected SOON
| do not believe that Americans will
/! sanction q scheme the object Of which
| Is to dislodge the present Inhabitants
of Palestine, who have inherited the
| land from generation to generation
| in order to provide homes for the
| Jews of eastern Europe. ss.s9
FRANK c. SAKRAN.