ZIONISM IN AMERICA.

Evening Star, Issue 11609, 20 June 1902, Page 1

ZIONISM IN AMERICA.

lit is weD known in Europe and America tlatour Israel Zangwiil is among the leading advocates of the retain of lus people to Palestine. In the current number of the ‘Christian World’'he arguae for their re- i turn. He admits that it is utterly ituphii- s , J rible to reunite themselves in Canaan by ■ force of arms. “ Remains,” he ’adds,' “ tab I marriage by purchase. Has Providence■■frt* pared the path? Is there a sufficient I oi money in Turkeytomake such'aujiajpi " oommandol money in Israel to supply the temptdtbtt?” He answers these "with an eat- : phatio “ YatJ” t’-Tfodetail* of eudh in arrangement uDay be left to those who think its aims worth pursuing.” To the world at; large the more interesting question is why such intelligent Hebrews as Mr Zangwiil should think them worth pursuing. His answer we shall try to condense. “The position of the Jews,” he contends, “despite artificial appearances, is now worse than it has been for centuries. Their “very emancipation, it is real, has only prepared their dissolution. The mere inauatrial impossibility of keeping two Sabbaths destroys the very pivot f d ■ esc religion.” In other words, Mr the Jew is.worse oil for ferent from his fellow-citizens. ThriTforioos anrv.val of the ancient faith—that all outside of the Covenant are; doomed—may be let pass, for it but paves the way to what seems 16 be our author’s real reason. “The one million, Jews of America,” he adds, "are free, but not socially equal.” there it is—the old millennial dream-that social equality can never be produced by law;, or by religion, or by any force whatsoever save free consent, based on similarity of tastes and habits of those affected. The fact is that the Jews in America have just the same social equality as their Gentile neighbors. When there is a willingness to adjust social habits and power to meet social requirements there is equality. Where there is no such willingness anti power there is no social equality, wholly irrespective of other conditions. The social equality for which Mr Zangwiil longs idenied to his Christian neighbors, and fur the self-same reasons, and always will be until the millennium comes. ’ Such is human nature. Mr Zangwiil fails to recognise that this fundamental condition of social equality has any right to exist. Therefore he would have his people abandon ail attempts to comply with that condition, and remove themselves from a world of wbieh this condition is an unbending law. Hence he would persuade them to become a nation in Canaan, and thus escape the only terms of social equality which Christendom grants. There is very little probability that (he Jews as a whole wifi ever accept Mr Zangwill's views. As civilisation advances, its ancient attitude toward the Jews will be relaxed, and they will find it best to regard themselves as men among men. But even if they'should undertake to cany out Mr Zangwill’s plan’ for acqu.ring .independence by purchase, their failure is evidently doomed, Nationality is something that can not be bought or sold. A man is bom to it, or accepts it voluntarily. The only binding wedlock between a nation and its borne is that by capture. The only lasting bond of union is the blood of its founders end of its sons. Mr Zangwill's idea that u nation can be founder! with money, and upon anything but tiro sweat and blood of .ts people, is about the mos't absurd vision ever seen by any dreamer of millennial con ■ ditions. Professor Gotthard Deutch says of it.: “ The history of Judaism lias been written in blood.- Judaism suffered for the sake of the most, glorious of all rights—liberty of conscience. Shall it now end as a petty tribe built upon no other principle than the tie of common descent, the lowc-sr and most animal life of all human characteristics? The views of the most honored representatives of the race in both hemispheres sound an emphatic No!’’ Mr Jacob Jrinyer, a Chzistian Jew. says : “ Brothers, you are fighting against hope. Let not your cry be back to Zion, but forward to Calvary! l>et Israel look upon Him whom thev have pierced, and the disease, will be cured. We will help you in the tight for the rights of men, but cannot give encouragement to fostering a false sentiment. Let Israel go forward, and never backward.”