The Denver Jewish news., 1924-02-07
PALESTINE AND THE JEW
INSEPARABLE. SAYS MIR.
RAMSAY MACDONALD
American Zionists Hail British Labor
Premier as Friend of the Jewish
National Homeland


Zionists of America as convinced adj
vOcate of the Zionist cause and as cne
| who understands and appreciates the
purposes OF the movement. Comment
ing edltorially on the accession of the
British Labor Party 10 power. The
New Palestine. official organ Of the
Zionist Organization of America. writes
in its latest issue:
I'VE greet the new government of
Great Britain and wish it success in
the difficult task which confrOnts H.
Mr. Macdonald faces Il situation which
will test his ability and the quality Of
his party which is now summoned To
take up the rens of government under
hard and serious domestic problems.
1t il IA source of congratulaiiOn to have
as the head of the new government
man like Mr. Macdonald He is n
friend OF our cause and of our people
who has made a special study of the
problems involved. He is n convinced
advocate of ZiOnism. because he has
seen Palestine and understands and mp
preciatcs the purposes of the Zionist
movement. He secs in Zionism the real
iZntion Of an ancient ideal of Justice
and right ana at the same time the
commcnlable ambition of an ancient
people to achieve through peaceful cf-
fort the realization of their economic.
religious and cultural freedom. To read
the articles written by Mr. Macdonald
on Palestine is To read the words of
nm enthusiast, an itlealst. and Mt the
probation of the practical. His per-
sonality has charm. His is an under
standing mind. He has tact. He has
force. The government led by him is
bound to correct difficult points of adj
ministration in Palestine. and TO give
5us larger opportunities to pursue fhc
.tnsk Of making the Jewish National
Home. free from anxieties and the i'm.
perfect understanding of policy on the
part of local administrators"
In the same issue The New Pales-
tine quotes from a number of articles
Mr.. Macdonald wrote for that paper
in 1922, following his return from
Palestine, and prefaces these quota
tions by the statement that the i'm
pressions of the Prime Minister "are
not the impressions of disinterest-
ed outsider, nor of the benevolent pat
ronizing non-Jew, but of one whose
Haop iptaracf op6 ,,rofo,pd e,,,,,n, H.,
in what he calls the great Jewish re-
turn is akin to reverence"
"Zionism," wrote Mr.. Macdonald,
among other things, "has blown over
the dry bones of Judaism, and once
again the faces and the feet of many
Jews are turned to Zion Palestine
and the Jew can never be separated.
No power on earth can take from this
land its magic attractions for its peo-
pie. have seen the living, the youth,
the believers, planting the waste
places and adorning the land as
bride is adorned by gifts from the
bridegroom. These things are evil
dence that in the heart of Judaism
there is love, and that in the Jews
mind there is a quest which he will
pursue in the face of all obstacles, and
through wearily long generations, un-
til the prophecies of his ancient teach /,
ers and of his own heart have been
fulfilled.
IL have seen them bestriding heaps 1
of stones being broken for road-mak-
ing. have met them rough-handed,
in the ragged garments of laborers,
mud raked, working on the land, and
they were happy. Such men do not |
shirk, they are the soul of communi-
ties, the influences that shame dishon-
esty, the inspiration of their fellows. !
Such is the Jew who is going to Pales-
tine. He is an idealist and.a worker. |
He has vision of a Palestine which
is to be the home of his people, and
love enters much into his labors Ten
years of the work which l saw will in
crease the wealth of Palestine a hun
dredfold.
at is perfectly evident that the
present Arab population will never
make good the defects of the country.
The Arab need not be disturbed, but
he requires education in the leader
ship of an industrial character The
question is, how is he to get ite The
world cannot remain indifferent to the
continued waste of Palestinian re-
sources. The Arab villages, if left
alone, and the Arab workman, also if
left alone would give but little trouble.
The villager will soon be helped in
hundred ways by the new colonists.
Patience, firmness and just dealing
will overcome the political agitation.