In spite of the political and diplomatic events of the two months
preceding the Baltimore Zionist Convention, not one of the responsible
Zionist leaders uttered a word with regard to the political situation
pertaining to Palestine. The various rumors concerning a Jewish
republic in Palestine have been answered by the representatives of
American Zionism with--silence. This attitude on the part of the
responsible Zionist leaders testifies to their political ability
and tact, for nothing would be more dangerous today than to discuss
Palestine at a Zionist assembly in as careless a manner as persons
have done for the last few months. The situation is still fraught
with difficulties, dangers and uncertainty; and the less it is spoken
of the better for all parties concerned. The question on the lips of
every delegate to the convention: What have we to expect? has been
well answered by the representative of the Provisional Committee for
General Zionist Affairs--We expect to be able to create after the war
such conditions in Palestine as to enable us to carry out our program.
To those delegates who are not able to think in terms of statesmanship
the answer of the official representatives of the Provisional Committee
must have appeared to be unsatisfactory, but the better politically
trained Zionists appreciated the answer as the only one possible under
the present circumstances and it convinced them that the leaders in
this country are politically on the right track.
All the talk about a speedy establishment of a Jewish republic in
Palestine in which even a part of the general press indulged is pure
fancy if we consider things in the light of reality. A republic or
any form of state cannot be made--it must grow naturally from certain
given conditions, it must develop organically. So long as the people
and the people's land are separated physically from one another, how
can the synthesis of the state be won? It is, therefore, clear that
the very first condition for the realization of the Zionist program is
a settlement of Jews in Palestine en masse, which settlement is not
possible unless certain economic conditions are created to enable the
settlers to organize their life speedily and acclimatize themselves
as quickly as possible. But this creating of conditions is not as
easy a task as many persons imagine. It not only presumes a favorable
political situation, but also a display of organizing genius, important
financial transactions and almost heroic deeds. If Palestine were an
industrial country where new industries could be created or the old
ones so developed as to give sustenance to masses of new settlers, the
task would not be difficult. Palestine, however, is at present not an
industrial country, there are no mines and consequently no factories
of importance; it is altogether an agricultural country, the soil of
which, though potentially very productive, has been neglected for
centuries and must be regenerated before it can produce enough to feed
a large population. But even if Palestine were an industrial country
it would be an unwise policy to make industry the economic basis of
the future population. If the Jewish people are going to be reborn not
only politically but also physically, mentally and morally, the masses
of the Jewish people must return to agriculture and to country life.
For the last two thousand years we have been a city-population and
we have acquired all the habits and qualities of one. City life has
wrought havoc among us. If Zionism has a philosophy then the return
of large numbers of the Jews to country-life is part and parcel of
that philosophy by which we must abide if we do not mean to deceive
ourselves. Besides, agriculture is a much sounder basis for a state
than industry. The agricultural country is peaceful, conservative,
moderate, while the industrial country is always restless, upset,
radical and bellicose. If an individualistic--and because of a long
life in the dispersion--nervous people like the Jews should build its
entire future on industry, it would be built on sand. For this and
many other good reasons, we must make agriculture the main economic
basis of Jewish life in Palestine. But to create favorable agricultural
conditions to enable an immigration en masse to Palestine is much more
difficult than to create favorable industrial conditions, especially in
view of the fact that the Palestinian soil has been neglected.
The economic future of Palestine rests to our present knowledge on
agriculture and trade. For the past ten years Palestinian trade has
been increasing from year to year, especially that of commerce in
fruit and wine. Palestine can, if its soil is properly tilled and
modern agricultural methods used, produce such quantities of fruits
and grain as not only to feed the native population but also to supply
other countries. The same holds true of wine and tobacco and probably
cotton. Industries can be established which have the home products
as a main basis, such as canning and packing industries, manufacture
of soap, perfumes, etc. The possibilities of pastoral industry in
Palestine are enormous, and industrious Jewish ranchers may turn
Eastern Palestine into a second Texas.
There are altogether vast possibilities and should a favorable
political situation enable us to revive and to create the necessary
economic conditions for a Jewish settlement en masse in the land,
Jewish industry and Jewish financial strength combined with Jewish
idealism would within a few years of hard work prepare the ground for
a realization of the Zionist program. This is what the Zionist leaders
have in mind when they speak of creating such conditions in Palestine.
It is further understood that next to the preparing of economic
conditions, something must be done in the field of social and cultural
preparation. When a group of Jews is sent to Palestine, it must find
there such social and cultural preparations as to make civilized life
possible. One cannot, of course, build communities, schools, social and
charitable institutions in Palestine before large masses of our people
have settled in the country. The ground for the establishment of such
institutions must be prepared before the actual immigration takes place
for we will not send our people to a wilderness. The Jewish groups
that will emigrate to Palestine may not find actually erected all the
schools and hospitals they need, but they must find everything that is
necessary for re-establishment of such institutions and the men needed
to conduct them. This is not an easy task but it can be accomplished
if we centre our organizing genius on it. In this way we can _Judaize
Palestine_ in a relatively short time and when this is done the
geographic and economic position will be used for a strengthening of
all the sociological factors which are necessary for the creation of
a Jewish homeland. Palestine, on account of its geographic condition
can again be developed to a mighty trade centre and it can become the
great commercial roadway between Europe, Africa and Western Asia. This,
together with its solid economic and social organization, will give
Palestine political strength and position among the civilized countries
in the world.
It can thus be seen that it is futile at present to talk of the
immediate establishment of a Jewish republic in Palestine. The very
best that can be done and will be done is to prepare the ground
economically, socially and culturally for the settlement of great
masses of our people in the Holy Land. And it will be for the settlers
to shape the future and to strive to realize the Zionist Ideal: A
permanently secured homeland for the Jewish people in the land of its
ancestors. Unless this big work is done, no power on earth can help us
carry out our national political program, because states cannot be made
but must develop organically.