Evening star., 1938-08-31
z|0N|STS' CLAIMS
BASED IN HISTORY
RiQht to National State in
Palestine Drawn From
Antiquity.
Rx FRANK SMOTHERS.

ZionlStS contend tnat tnelr ueteImlnd-
tion to build a national state in Pales-
tine is justified by thousands of years
Of Jewish history and by pressing
necessity proved through centuries
and confirmed today.
The history cited is not only that Of
the centuries when the Holy Land was
Jewish But it is emphasized that the
children Of Israel lived long in Palestine
before, according to tradition, they
migrated to Egypt. and later were led
by Moses back to the Promised Land.
Historical evidence is declared clear.
that the Israelites held most of the
Palestine hill country by 100 B. c.
Before the age of Christ, the disper-
sion, or Diaspora, of the Jews from
Palestine had begun. After Nebuchad-
nezzar In the 6th century B. C.lsacked
Jerusalem and forced many of It's
people into the "Babylonian captivity"
in Irak. number of the Jews became
SO we'll established there that they did
not Join the exiles who returned to
Palestine half century later. Emigres
from Palestine subsequently increased
the Jewish community of Irak. Jews
also settled in Egypt, Syria. Greece
and Italy before Rome destroyed Jeru-
salem in 135 A. D.. killed many Of its
people, led many away as slaves and
sealed the fate of Jewish Palestine.
Never Forgot Palestine.
Thereafter the Diaspora continued
until the Jews were dispersed to all
the world. But never did they forget
Palestine. That incontestible fact is
stressed by zionists here as a moral
cornerstone of their will to build
Jewish state in land which is today
and 50 long has been that of another
people, the Arabs. For almost 1000
years since the destruction of the
temple and later of Jerusalem the Jews
have thought with nostalgia OF the
old Palestine homeland.
Religious Jews believed that the
Messiah would come and rebuild the
temple. To this day Jews throughout
the world pray for rain at the season
when 1t is needed in Palestine: devout
Jews sometimes have little soil from
the Holy Land placed in their coffins,
so that it may be said that they were
buried in Palestine soil For centuries
they have paid to maintain colony
OF Jews to pray in the Holy City. par
ticularly at the wailing wall, believed
by many Of the devout to be built Of
stones of Solomon's Temple.
Religion is far from the basic motive
OF the majority of Zionists. led by
modernists. many with little conscious
religious faith. Palestine. nevertheless,
by all Jews, is remembered as the one
home they ever had as a nation: as
the scene where f1ourished the immor-
tai Hebrew literature. including the
Psalms and the Song of Solomon.
treasured by all the world During
the Diaspora, moreover, sentiments
Of love or nostalgia for Palestine have
inspired fine Hebrew poetry. And
many Jews not themselves orthodox
recognize the great part which Jewish
development Of monotheism played
IN the history Of the race and the
world. They look upon it as another
cultural link to Palestine.
Jews Always in Palestine.
Further. IS zionists stress to me,
there never has been a time in the
Oaspora when some Jews. however
slight minority. have not lived in
Palestine. Sometimes they were almost
plotted out, but colonies rose again
IN the Moelem land. This esta blishes,
they argue. Jewish historical conti-
nuity in Palestine
Such being. roughly. the "justifica-
tlon" for selection of Palestine for
the national state. the Zionists, after
dismissing the Arab case, declare that
the persecution Of Jews in many lands
Tor centuries. now rising, now falling.
proves the necessity for this state. They
point to the savage persecution of
Jews IN Germany and what was AUS
tina, the danger OF increased persecu-
ton IN Eastern Europe. the rising pro-
gram OF Fascist anti-Semitism In Italv.
as proof that hope for ending persec,l-
ton Is vain.
The only solution" declared Zion
lsts "s Zionism"
Then they deal with the fact that
only small fraction of the esti-
mated l6,000.000 Jews in the world
Of whom more than one fourth are
IN the United States-can settle in
Palestine. When Zionist enthusiasts
speak OF increasing the present 450.-
600 Jews in Palestine to four or five
millions. most objective critics declare
that so rosy an estimate is far in
excess Of what the known facts Justify.
But even the estimates of jealous
1lonlsts show that Palestine can re-
celve only small minority of world
Jewry.
See Rising Self-respect.
One answer of Zionists is that If
the British will enforce order" on
the Arabs and again will permit large
immigration Of Jews (the Jewish
population has multiplied more than
fVe times since the Balfour declara-
tlon in 1910 great many Jews can
at least be taken from countries
where they are especially oppressed.
More basic, they argue that il all
RESORTS
ATLANTIC rVVv