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Featured Book*
Einstein on Israel and Zionism: His Provocative Ideas
About the Middle East
Fred
Jerome
" . . . I am neither a German
citizen nor do I believe in anything that might be described
as "Jewish faith." But I am a Jew and am glad to
belong to the Jewish people, though I do not
regard it in any way as chosen."1a
If we are not able to find a way to honest
cooperation and honest pacts with the Arabs, then we have
learned nothing during our two thousand years of suffering, and
deserve the fate which will befall us. . . Without honest
cooperation with the Arabs there is no peace and no security."1b
Only
direct cooperation with the Arabs can create a dignified and safe life.
If the Jews don't comprehend this, the whole Jewish position in the complex
of Arab countries will become step by step untenable. What saddens me
is less the fact that the Jews are not smart enough to understand this, but
rather, that they are not just enough to want it [emphasis in
the original]."1c*
I
should much rather see reasonable agreement with the Arabs on the basis of
living together in peace than the creation of a Jewish state. . . [T]he
essential nature of Judaism resists the idea of a Jewish state with borders,
an army, and a measure of temporal power. . . I am afraid of the inner
damage Judaism will sustain--especially from the development of a narrow
nationalism within our own ranks . . ."1d
I am
in favor of Palestine being developed as a Jewish Homeland but not as a
separate state. It seems to me a matter of simple common sense that
we cannot ask to be given the political rule over Palestine where two
thirds of the population are not Jewish. What we can and should ask
is a secured bi-national status in Palestine with free immigration."1e
I
believe that even in America, we Jews are by no means safe. . .
The psychological situation of the Jews over here is quite similar to the
one in Germany before Hitler."1f
When a real and final catastrophe should befall us in Palestine the first
responsible for it would be the British and the second responsible for it
the Terrorist organization built up from our own ranks."1g
We had
great hopes for Israel at first. We thought it might be better than other
nations, but it is no better."1h
* Emphasis added.
1
Fred Jerome.
Einstein on Israel and Zionism: His Provocative Ideas About the
Middle East. Fred Jerome, 2009. New York, NY: St.
Martin's Press, 2009. (Translations by Michael Schiffmann.)
a 1. Fighting Anti-Semitism
1919-1929, at 39.
b 2. Years
of Crisis 1929-1939, at 78-82.
c Ibid.,
at 94.
d Ibid.,
at 112.
e 4.
Struggle Over the State 1945-1948, at 176.
f Ibid.,
at 186.
g Ibid.,
at 187.
h 5. The Final Years 1948-1955, at
223.
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