Dr. Chaim Weizmann, chairman of the Central Bureau for the Settlement of German Jews in Palestine, has sent a report to the United Jewish Appeal, in which he refers to “fantastic projects” to settle large numbers of refugees in such lands as Angola and South Africa.
Dr. Weizmann writes, in part, as follows:
“In the search for a new homeland for German Jews, adventurous and fantastic projects have been eagerly brought up, whilst the great opportunities which Palestine offers to them as to others are persistently overlooked. We are told that Palestine is too small, and fantastic schemes are constantly being sprung on us which speak of new territories waiting to receive immediately millions of Jews. Names of exotic countries are tossed at the public and plans involving millions are lightly—and without a shred of expert knowledge—discussed. We have never claimed that Palestine as it is today is capable of receiving immigrants in the millions. What we did, and still do claim, is that the absorptive capacity of Palestine, even of Palestine west of the Jordan, could be increased many times over.”
According to Dr. Weizmann’s report 11,000 German Jews settled in Palestine during 1933 and an additional 4,000 refugees entered Palestine thus far this year.
The “adventurous and fantastic projects” referred to by Dr. Weizmann have not even been considered seriously, as far as we know, and immediately upon the publication of the Angola project in a London newspaper, the Joint Distribution Committee, the Ica, as well as High Commissioner McDonald denied categorically that such a plan was being seriously considered.
There can be no doubt that Palestine today is the most logical and most practical solution of the problem of the German Jewish refugees. The dreamers of Zion turned out to be the most farsighted and most practical leaders in Israel, as evidenced by the Jewish achievement in Palestine and by the asylum which that little country is now in position to offer to the victims of anti-Semitic persecutions in Naziland.
Dr. Weizmann has been more instrumental than any other Jew in obtaining the historic Balfour Declaration and thus making possible the rehabilitation of Palestine. But the Balfour Declaration and the mandate have been subjected to various interpretations by the Colonial Office and by Prime Minister MacDonald during the past years so that unforeseen obstacles have been placed in the way and Jewish immigration to Palestine has been limited to a most deplor-
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
