"El Tiempo and Zionism: Part A", in ha-herut, January 19, 1910

Transcription

1 Criticism of Zionism in the Ottoman press, Translated and edited by Michelle Campos "El Tiempo and Zionism: Part A", in ha-herut, January 19, 1910 [[This article was excerpted from the main Judeo-Spanish newspaper in Constantinople, El Tiempo. The editor of ET, David Fresco, came out strongly against the Zionist movement by 1909, launching a public debate in the Judeo-Spanish press than spanned the Sephardi world, most notably Salonika, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. The editors of the Jerusalem Sephardi newspaper ha-herut (Liberty), launched their own counter-attack against Fresco, calling him the greatest enemy of the Jewish people. The article below quotes Fresco, and was later followed by numerous articled denouncing his position.]] "I think the central leadership of Zionism is committing a huge crime in its desire to drag the Ottoman Jews after their crazy movement...the Zionist shelter must be in Turkey itself, and because of that Ottoman Jews cannot participate in this movement without being traitors in the eyes of their friends who belong to the other peoples. The heads of Zionism should think a little about the existence of 1/2 million Jews who live quiet and peaceful lives without any pressures, faithful to their homeland. Those Zionist leaders should at least wait until the Ottoman government agreed to their suggestion, and afterward invite their brothers the Jews in Turkey to participate in the movement, and until then they should have sat [still]." The Zionist leaders, citizens of foreign countries, have no fear. "They send emissaries to Turkey to spread their ideas among the Ottoman Jews and acquire members for their movement, without thinking for a second of the great damage they could cause them, because by that they will be considered traitors to their homeland." Zionists used their money for the Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish and even French press (Aurore and Jeune Turc), who speak of the return of the Jews "to the land of their fathers" and the realization of their hopes. "All of these are calls to incitement of the religious and national feelings of the Jews..." They are creating in our land a Jewish question. Fresco published a French booklet of his writings against Zionism: 1) non-jews can see the aims of the Jews are unity of the peoples, progress and humanity. "Our brothers of the other religions will be convinced that the Ottoman Jew, like his brother in all the lands of exile, is loyal to his homeland." 2) All the Jewish youth who don't know the basis of Judaism and follow Zionism can read [and thereby learn the truth about Zionism]. The Zionist press in Constantinople tried to show there was nothing to fear in the Zionist Congress, but why didn't they publish [Max] Nordau's speech? They hide Wolffsohn and Nordau's speeches that the aim of Zionism is to concentrate all the Jews in Eretz-Israel [the land of Israel /Palestine] and only in Eretz-Israel! If the Ottoman government were to find them land to settle in the empire it will expect them to Ottomanize, and they won't do it. Did you think you could fool the government? You can only fool the Jews in Turkey who don't read the other press. ***The Jewish religion forbids us from participating in this movement, will divide the nations, can't assemble Jews. "War to Zionism in Turkey!" Ottoman Jews must chase out Zionism with all their strength. --no commentary by editors

2 Declaration from Palestinian Personalities to the Ottoman Parliament, 1914 In the name of God, the most merciful and compassionate General call to citizens (The Zionist Jews want to colonize our land and expel us from it, and are you, oh sons of Palestine, content with that? Do you accept disgrace and death?) The Zionist Danger ({Quran Surah The Table 5}: And the biggest enemies of the believers are the Jews) Oh Sons of the Land: We call on you in the name of Islam, in the name of the sad nation (watan), in the name of the Arabian Peninsula, in the name of precious Syria, in the name of Palestine, our unfortunate land even in the name of everything which is dear to you. We call on you in a general call with an aching liver and broken heart, we call on you a call to whoever saw the dangers getting sharper and the calamities surrounding us and almost destroying us without exception, and will destroy us in certain destruction. We call on you seeing how the nations fall and how their buildings collapse and how their pillars fall, and their existence is destroyed. We call on you as well see our heritage slipping away from our hands and our country is going as booty to our enemies who covet it. We call on you while `Omar bin al-khitab, emir of the believers who was the first to conquer this country, is watching you after 13 generations calling out to you: awaken and defend your country that I opened up while those who were with me among your first fathers. Value your homeland (watan). Cling stubbornly to it. [If you leave your homes then God will not write your names in good memory -- Quran]. And don't ignore the words of the prophet peace be upon him: leaving the homeland is a punishment. And how will you leave your land which is your rightful inheritance to wander around aimlessly in disgrace and shame. If you do that then you are not Muslims. And this will bring anger from God and his prophet and the angels and the people together. {Quran}. Men! Do you wish to be slaves to the Zionists who have come to you to expel you from your country, saying that this country is theirs? Behold, I summon God and his messenger as witnesses against them that they are liars. They dwelt in this holy land in former times and God sent them from it and forbade them to settle in it. Therefore why are they now craning their necks towards it, wishing to conquer it, after having deserted it for 2000 years? The Zionists desire to settle in our country and to expel us from it. Are you satisfied with this? Do you wish to perish? It is not merely that they wish to have dominion over us, but [they also wish] to expel us from the country. Are you, Muslims, content with this? Are you, Palestinians, Syrians,

3 Arabs, happy at this? They have to learn there is a nation in the country and that they cannot enter so long as we are in it. (Plan of action proposed: end Jewish immigration; demand reinstitution of the Red Note (which limited Jewish pilgrimage to three months); enforce land purchase restrictions; encourage local industry among Arabs only, since the Zionists do not trade with the Goy ; do not sell land to Jews; Arab land agents should be reviled; stem the emigration of locals to America and elsewhere; create religious, technical and agricultural schools; youth should be encouraged to undertake agriculture and industry, not useless bureaucracy; Arabic should be the language of instruction.) Three Parliamentary Candidates Views on Zionism, 1914: Husayn al-husayni, mayor of Jerusalem, al-ikdam, reprinted in ha-herut, March 30, 1914: I am certain that the idea of founding a Jewish state in Palestine does not occur to any reasonable and rational Zionist, as people say. The Zionists come to this country to live. They are educated, cultured people; they do not inflate their importance and they are united amongst themselves. It is not just or humane that we should hate or despise these people. On the contrary, we should imitate them and learn from their activities, which can give us a good and appropriate lesson and thereby we can give an important impetus to the progress of our husbandry and agriculture. But despite all this, we must keep an open eye on them, for if we continue in our way and they in theirs, then all our lands will pass into their possession. Our fellah is poor and impoverished, and the poor man is liable to surrender his land to keep himself alive. Therefore, the government must pass a new law concerning the sale of land in Palestine, setting up known conditions and limiting them according to our position in the country. Hafiz Bey al-sa id, member of the Ottoman parliament from Jaffa, Filastin April 4, 1914: Zionist immigration can be both harmful and useful. Were the Zionist danger not great, I would be the first to declare that we need Zionism here in this country. [But] it is otherwise, if the master proceeds unrestricted, if the immigrant is entitled to buy [land] wherever he pleases If the government does nothing against the danger of Zionist immigration, it is quite possible that the new settlers will attract to themselves the lion s share of trade and land [in Palestine], and that they will outnumber the local population, nine-tenths of whom are ignorant of what knowledge and education are I do not share the view of some people that the local population can benefit from having Zionist neighbors, that they can learn agriculture, trade and building from them. Rather, I believe that the object lesson of the Zionist through their fine buildings, modern plantations, new machines, their founding agricultural companies and schools has no significance for the local population, because for these things one needs money and education, which is possessed only by the Zionists I ask God that the people at the helm of government will take measures which will benefit the inhabitants of the country.

4 Ragheb Bey al-nashashibi, Jerusalem notable, Ha-Herut, March 30, 1914: If the foreign Jew truly wishes to win our sympathy for him, then he must accept Ottoman nationality and must learn the language of the country so that he will understand us and we shall understand him, and both [our peoples] will work for the good of the country. But if the foreign subject comes to fight us with the weapon of his foreign nationality and despises our sons and brethren and breaks our statutes and laws, then it is our duty not to pass over this in silence. If I am elected as deputy, I will dedicate all my energies day and night to remove the harm and danger awaiting us from Zionism and the Zionists without, as has been said, harming the rights of our Ottoman [Jewish] brethren. Khalil al-sakakini, Such am I, O World [Kadha ana, yaa dunya!] diary excerpts from February 1914: [[KS was a Christian (Greek-Orthodox) from Jerusalem, a notable educator and writer. He was active in numerous societies and organizations that sought to bring Muslims and Christians together, and by the Mandate period was an ardent Palestinian nationalist.]] [The Jewish people s] conquest of Palestine is as if it had conquered the heart of the Arab nation (umma), because Palestine is the connecting link which binds the Arabian Peninsula with Egypt and Africa. If the Jews conquer Palestine, they will prevent the linking of the Arab nation; indeed, they will split it into two unconnected parts. This will weaken the cause of Arabism and will prevent its solidarity and unity as a nation. If the Arabs are asked by what right they possess this country, they would say that it is a natural part of the Arab lands. Yes, it was not the cradle of Arab civilization but it is not debarred from a share in it. This sacred precinct [Jerusalem] and these schools are eloquent signs that the country is Arab and Islamic. The Arabs have settled in this country from very ancient times; and if this country is the cradle of the Jews spirituality and the birthplace of their history, then the Arabs have another undeniable right [to Palestine], which is that they propagated their language and culture in it. [The Jews ] right had died with the passage of time; our right is alive and unshakeable. What I despise is this principle which [the Zionist] movement has set up, which is that it should subjugate another [national movement] to make itself strong, and that it should kill an entire nation so that it might live, because this is as if it is trying to steal its independence and to take it by deceit out of the hand of destiny And what glory does it have if it acquires its independence by this way? This independence, which is acquired by cash, whereby the opportunity of other nations lethargy, weakness and indolence is exploited, is indeed a feeble independence, founded on sand. What will the Jews do if the national feeling of the Arab nation is aroused; how will they be able to stand up to the Arabs?

5 Salah al-din (Saladin), in al-karmil (Haifa, 1910) [[Salah al-din was the pen name of Shukri al- Asali, a Muslim notable from Damascus who served as district governor in Nazareth, and was later elected to the Ottoman parliament as a representative from Damascus. He was hanged by the Ottomans in 1915 on the pretext of being an Arab nationalist.]] [The Zionists] do not mix with the Ottomans, and do not buy anything from them. They own the Anglo-Palestine Bank which makes loans to them at a rate not exceeding 1 percent per annum. Every village has set up an administrative office and a school, every kaza (district) a central administration, and every district has a general administrator. They have a blue flag in the middle of which is a Star of David, and below that is a Hebrew word meaning Zion, because in the Torah Jerusalem is called the Daughter of Zion. They raise this flag instead of the Ottoman flag at their celebrations and gatherings; and they sing the Zionist anthem. They have deceived the government with lying and falsehood when the enroll themselves as Ottoman subjects in the registers, for they continue to carry foreign passports which protect them; and whenever they go to the Ottoman courts, they produce their own passports and summon foreign protection; they settle their claims and differences amongst themselves with the knowledge of the administrator, and they do not turn to the government. They teach their children physical training and the use of arms; you see their houses crammed with weapons, among them many Martini rifles. They have a special postal service, special stamps, etc., which proves that they have begun setting up their political aims and establishing their imaginary government. If the government does not set a limit to this torrential stream, no time will pass before you see that Palestine has become a property of the Zionist Organization or its associates or of the nation mentioned above [the Jews].