THE SANBALLATS.
On the 27th July, 1917, while I was stationed at the Curragh in command
of a Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, I got a telegram from the
War Office ordering me to report there and commence the organization of
the Jewish Legion about to be raised, so I set out forthwith for London.
On getting my instructions from Major-General R. Hutchison, the Director
of Organization, he told me, among other things, that a certain Sergeant
Jabotinsky would probably be most useful to me, for he was a very keen
worker and an ardent advocate of the Jewish Regiment. I told him that I
had already met Jabotinsky, and I knew his assistance would be
invaluable, and requested that he might be attached to me for duty at
once.
I was given a room at the War Office Annexe which had been taken over
from the National Liberal Club. Here I was joined in due course by
Jabotinsky, now a full-fledged sergeant.
We had hardly begun to move in the matter of recruiting for the Jewish
Regiment, when I became aware that in certain quarters of influential
English Jewry there was violent hostility to Zionist aspirations, and
also to the very idea of a Jewish Regiment.
I therefore felt that, in order to clear the air, it would be necessary
to hold a meeting of those who were in favour of, as well as those who
were opposed to, the formation of a Jewish Regiment, and try to induce
the latter to cease obstructing a policy which had already been decided
upon by the British Government, and to give me their help in making the
proposed Regiment a success.
A meeting of representative men on both sides was held at the War Office
on the 8th August, 1917. Among those present were: Lord Rothschild,
Major Lionel de Rothschild, Major Neil Primrose, Captain Ormsby Gore,
M.P., Mr. Sebag Montefiore, Dr. Weizmann, Mr. Joseph Cowen, Dr. Eder,
Captain Salaman, R.A.M.C., Mr. M. J. Landa, Mr. L. J. Greenberg, the
Rev. S. Lipson (Senior Jewish Chaplain to the Forces in England), and
Sergeant Jabotinsky--about twenty in all. Colonel Sir Mark Sykes, M.P.
(whose untimely death I deeply lament), and Lieut.-Colonel L. S. Amery,
M.P., who were then Secretaries to the War Cabinet, also attended, both
being warm friends of the movement.
I briefly addressed the meeting and explained that I had called them
together to give me their advice and assistance in the formation of the
Jewish Regiment.
I was, of course, aware that there was somewhat of a cleavage amongst
the Jews on this question, but the bitterness and hostility shown was
quite a revelation to me. I could not understand how any Jew could fail
to grasp this Heaven-sent opportunity and do all in his power to
further the efforts of the British Government on behalf of the Jewish
people.
Imagine my surprise, therefore, when certain of the Jews in opposition
vigorously denounced the formation of a Jewish Regiment, and equally
vigorously damned the aspirations of the Zionists!
Dr. Weizmann gave a slashing reply to the Sanballats from the Zionist
point of view which cut the ground from under their feet; and
Jabotinsky, in his address for the cause he had at heart, lifted the
debate to a level immeasurably above the point of view of his opponents.
A few others spoke, and then I again addressed the meeting and said I
thought it was a good thing the Government had not left it to the
community to form a Jewish Regiment, for I saw that they would never
agree; but, as the Government had already made up its mind, and was
determined to have a Jewish Legion of some kind, I begged them to lay
aside all differences and help me to make a success of a movement which
was bound to affect Jews, one way or another, throughout the world. In
conclusion, I said I would rather know who were my friends, and asked
all those who did not intend to further this scheme, which after all was
a scheme propounded and adopted by the British Government, to retire.
Not a man moved.
While I was making my address a note was passed to me from hand to hand.
On opening it I read, "Can you dine with me this evening? I should like
to join your new Battalion. N.P." I little knew when I scribbled back:
"So sorry, am engaged," what serious consequences hung on my answer,
for I feel sure that Neil Primrose would not have been cut off in his
prime had I dined with him that night and "recruited" him for the Jewish
Battalion, but I never saw this very gallant officer again. He went out
to Palestine soon afterwards, where he met his death while leading his
men in a charge.
To return to the meeting: when I found that not one of our opponents was
prepared to declare himself an open enemy of the policy of H.M.'s
Government, I said that as the formation of the various Committees
connected with the Regiment was an essentially Jewish matter I would now
retire, and I asked Lord Rothschild to take the Chair.
Within half an hour I was summoned by Brigadier-General Sir Auckland
Geddes, as he then was. The General appeared to be extremely flurried
and annoyed. Apparently, immediately after I had left the meeting, two
gentlemen had gone straight from it to Sir Auckland, and made a bitter
attack on me for having, as they said, held a Zionist Meeting in the War
Office.
I assured him that there was no attempt at holding a Zionist meeting,
but that a number of representative Jews and others had been called to
help me in carrying out the policy of the War Office, and I pointed out
that it was entirely due to the two gentlemen who complained, that any
question of Zionism had been raised.
Why any Jew should be an anti-Zionist passes my comprehension, for the
Zionist ideal in no way interfe[1] with the rights and privileges of
those fortunate Jews who have found happy homes in friendly countries,
but aims at establishing a national home for those less happy ones,
who, against their will, are forced to live in exile, and who have never
ceased to yearn for the land promised to their forefather Abraham and
his seed for ever.
Yet I will have to show that, as there were Sanballats[1] who bitterly
opposed the restoration in the days of King Artaxerxes 2,500 years ago,
so there were modern Sanballats who bitterly opposed the restoration in
the days of King George.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] See Nehemiah, Chapters 3 and 4.