RIGHTS OF THE JEW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26749, 19 April 1948, Page 6

RIGHTS OF THE JEW

“ DIVINE CLAIM ” , TO

PALESTINE "The Jew to-day stands beside the grave of many nations who were at one time his persecutor, from ancient Egypt to Hitler’s Germany,” said Mr M S. J. Dackers in an address on Palestine given under the auspices of the Christadelphian Church last night. “The existence of the Jew to-day is a miracle, and his survival is due to the fact that God had declared: ‘This people have I formed for myself.’ ” The lecturer said that the first Jew was Abraham, who was promised the present-day Palestine as an everlasting possession for his descendants. The Jewish nation in ages past had been in' Palestine about 800 years, and for nearly 450 years had held political ascendancy. The Arab, on the other hand, haa no Divine claim, said the speaker. He had ruled as a people for about 437 years, ending in 1071 A.D., and, by reports received, 75 per cent, of the present Arab population had emigrated into Palestine during the past 100 years, and were thus not descendants of the Arabians in Palestine 1300 years ago. The Jew had a priority over Palestine both by length of occupation and by Divine sanction, Mr Dackers said. The Jew had been at the side of the Allies in both World War I and 11, whereas the Arab has made trouble and been an opponent in World War 11. The present terrorism by a small section of the Jews was no reason for the Jews as a nation to be branded terrorists. If all the Arab atrocities were noted it would be found, he claimed, that they were equal to those carried out by the Jew. The speaker said that the White Paper of 1939 had been responsible for the ruthless murder of millions of Jewish men, women, and children in Europe, and the Jewish people were naturally alarmed at the possibility of more persecution—hence the resultant terrorism.

No matter what the decision of UNO with regard to Palestine was, Zionism would finally prosper, he said, because the Divine purpose which had sustained the Jew through past centuries would sustain him in the future.