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An article from the
New-York Daily Tribune, dated August 25, 1903.
BRITAIN'S OFFER TO THE JEWS.
Belief That Proposition of
African Colony Will Be Accepted.
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London, Aug. 24.--English Jews
are deeply interested in the announcement made by Dr.
Theodor Herzl, president of the sixth Zionist Congress, at
its opening yesterday at Basel, that Great Britain, in view
of the failure of the plan to establish Jews on the Sinai
Peninsula, had offered to the Zionists a large tract of
territory in East Africa for colonization by the Jews, who
would have an autonomous government under British
suzerainty. While some opposition is expected, they believe
that the congress will accept the proposition.
It is pointed out that there is
a great difference between the acquisition of Palestine for
the establishment of a Jewish state, as originally
contemplated by the Zionists, and the proposal of the
British Government, which simply contemplates the
establishment of a Jewish colony in a section of the British
Empire needing development. When in London, Dr. Herzl called
at the Foreign Office and consulted with the officials there
in regard to the British attitude with respect to the Sinai
Peninsula, but Great Britain was not willing to do more than
make the proposal announced by Dr. Herzl. |
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Dr. Theodor Herzl
From a photograph taken by C. Bietzner in
Vienna,
July 3, year unknown.
Courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery.
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Lord Rothschild said today:
"Fearing Jewish emigration from the
British Isles, the government has offered a tract of land in East
Africa to Jews emigrating there. They will have only the rights and
privileges of British subjects, the same as their brethren enjoy
here and elsewhere in the empire. They will be under British rule,
the same as they would be under American rule if they were located
within American territory. In other words, they will simply be
colonists. I do not know whether the proposition will be accepted."
As Dr. Herzl did not disclose the
proposal before its announcement to the congress at Basel, the Jews
here are not aware of its exact terms, but the majority of the Jews
in England are said to oppose its acceptance. Israel Zangwill and
Sir Francis Montefiore, who are at Basel, will, it is believe,
uphold the proposal. The editor of a Jewish newspaper here said:
"In any event a refuge is not desired
for the Jews of England or America, but for those of Russia, Rumania
and other European States, whose condition can only be improved by
emigration."
The editor reiterated that the idea of
acquiring Palestine had not been abandoned, even in view of the
British proposal being accepted. |
