THE BUILDER FEBRUARY 1919

PROGRESS IN PALESTINE

AS THE traditional land of its origin and as the scene of its
oldest legends Masonry and its adherents must always maintain an
interest, real even if sentimental, in Palestine. More than most
outsiders, therefore, Masons will watch with keen attention the
developments in that historic land in the brief time since it was
freed from the blighting and ruinous rule of the Turk.

Upon the recovery of Jerusalem in December, 1917, the writer had
occasion (1) to call attention to the significance of that event
from the standpoint of internationalism and interreligious
rapprochement and, having thus entered upon the study of the
subject he has naturally been interested in following it and
especially in observing how events have shaped themselves there in
various fields of activity.

1. Military. General Allenby may fairly claim the title of the
modern Joshua, if not that of the modern David, for he literally
"smote the Philistines, hip and thigh." It is highly fitting that
the Jewish community of Jerusalem should have presented him, at the
hands of Dr. Chaim Weitzman, the foremost living Zionist, with a
scroll of Torah the Sacred Law and that a Maccabean guard of honor
should have attended the ceremony. In that land of many battles
General Allenby fought and won perhaps the most remarkable of all.
Not only Palestine "from Dan to Beersheba" but all of Syria was
freed from the Turks let us hope forever and the way was thus
opened to relieve prostrate Armenia as well as Mesopotamia and to
end that disgraceful anachronism the Turkish Empire.

Not the least interesting feature of the accounts which have
filtered in from the scene of those great victories is the mention,
in the despatches of September 24, of the Jewish legion. One
regiment of this was recruited in London and another in New York,
whence it sailed only last February, and it is gratifying to find
this new force so soon giving a good account of its presence.
Coupled with General Pershing's call for twenty-five more Jewish
Chaplains it becomes evident that the new Zionist need not lack the
nucleus of an army.

Hardly less interesting was the reference in the same despatches to
the service of the Druses that strange race and sect whose cult
affords so much of interest for Masons, especially those of the
Scottish Rite (2) - who fought with the army of the King of Hedjaz
against the Turks in 'the land of Moab" east of Jordan.

2. Industrial. The Jewish colonies which flourished in Palestine
before the war were among the chief sufferers from Turkish ferocity
and one of the principal tasks of the deliverers has been to
repatriate the colonists and help them to restore their too often
devastated homes. The extension of this work so well begun has
occupied the attention of various agencies.

The British army has helped the colonists with the loan of draft
animals. Other animals and supplies have been brought in by railway
from Egypt, which, though built originally as a military line, is
proving of permanent and increasing value to the country.

The Palestine Fund Restoration Commission of America has been most
effective and is giving special attention to water-supply and the
modernization of Jerusalem. Anronsohn, the Jewish agricultural
expert, refused a tempting offer from America in order to devote
his whole time to the development of Palestinian agriculture.

Early in the summer, announcement was made from Petrograd of
Zionist industrial activity among Russian Jews the expansion of the
Haboneh (Builder) Company, the organization of a Zionist emigration
society at Moscow with a capital of rbls. 10,000,000; the formation
of a steamship company for service between Odessa and Palestine
with a capital of rbls. 5,000,000; a Palestine Oil Company and a
modern hotel company for Palestine each with a capital of rbls.
3,000,000; and a Palestine agricultural bank at Petrograd with a
capital of rbls. 25,000,000. These are some of the forces which are
again to make the weary land, whose once productive soil has lain
fallow for two milleniums, rejoice and blossom as the rose.

3. Educational. The Zionist program includes the revival of ancient
Hebrew culture including the language. And this is being adapted to
modern needs. A great Hebrew scholar has been at work for some time
on a new Hebrew dictionary which is to contain not only the
classical vocabulary but the additional terms needed in modern
life.

Moreover a new Hebrew-English and English-Hebrew lexicon has been
prepared and, in order to facilitate communication between resident
Jews and the British army of occupation, is being printed in serial
form as a supplement to the Palestine News whose editors are
supervising the enterprise.

Another project is the

"scheme of 'The City of the Book,' adjacent to the site reserved
for the university settlement. The idea is to concentrate there
gradually the Hebrew book printing industry so as to supply the
whole of the Diaspora from Jerusalem with Jewish literature, sacred
and profane. Before the war the number of Talmudic, Rabbinic, and
prayer-books sold in different countries amounted to millions
yearly. Warsaw and Vilna were the principal centres of publication,
but the war seems to have destroyed them and Jerusalem could gather
and utilize what remains of the skilled labour. Adding the
'profane,' and especially educational Hebrew literature, of which
the demand is increasing daily throughout the world, a flourishing
industry could be created, giving sustenance to many thousands of
families, and strengthening the position of Jerusalem as a leading
force in all branches of the Jewish revival all the world over."
(3)


Jewish elementary schools in Palestine had been brought to an
advanced state long before the war. A college had been established
at Jaffa and the beginnings made of a technical school at Haifa,
all of which prepared the way for the crowning event of the year in
Palestine, the foundation of the new Hebrew University. A
commanding site for it, on the Mount of Olives, overlooking
Jerusalem on the west and the Jordan Valley on the east, was chosen
months ago. There on April 11, amid the applause of an audience of
six thousand, Dr. Weitzman declared that a new moral force would go
forth from that site for the uplift of the whole Jewish people. The
foundation stone was laid on July 24, curiously enough the tenth
anniversary of the Turkish Revolution and later came the
announcement that Henri Bergson, the greatest of French, and
perhaps of all living philosophers, had accepted a place in the
faculty of the new institution.

4. Political. Mr. Balfour's declaration of Nov. 2, last, in favor
of "a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine" was
indorsed by the King of Greece on Feb. 7, 1918, by the French
government on Feb. 12, by the Italian on Feb. 25 and more recently
by the governments of Holland, Serbia, Siam and the all-Russian
government at Omsk, while President Wilson has added his great
influence by expressing his unqualified approval.

Shortly after its declaration the British government authorized the
despatch to Palestine of a Jewish Administrative Commission and
this, headed by Dr. Weitzman, arrived in Jerusalem on April 10 and
was welcomed by representatives not only of all three of the great
monotheistic religions but of several branches of each. Since then
this commission has been at work in laying the foundation of the
new government. Dr. Weitzman returned to London on October 9,
expressing satisfaction at the results of his mission and speaking
hopefully of the future of Palestine.

As recited in one of their publications, (4)

"the Zionists are resolved that the constitution of the

state they are building shall contain not only all that is best in
the fundamental law of the most enlightened countries of the world,
but something even beyond that. The aspiration of the Zionists is
to establish a model state in which the conflict of the classes,
the eternal warfare between capital and labor, will have no place.
There must be no room in Jewish Palestine, they are determined, for
exploitation for private gain, and the amassing plutocratic
millions will be impossible. Their high aim is a state that will
exemplify the highest ideals of democracy."

It is a mark of the practical sagacity of those who are undertaking
this interesting task that they have turned their attention first
to public health and sanitation. Disease has already been reduced
and special care is given to child welfare.

Another vital subject to receive attention is the administration of
justice. The old, corrupt, inefficient and dilatory Turkish Courts
have, of course, been superseded. But the administrators have not
made the mistake of uprooting suddenly the Mohammedan law which has
now prevailed in Palestine for so many centuries. This has been
retained for the present and an English Jew, recently stationed in
Cairo in the judicial service of the British government, and
therefore familiar with Arabic and Muslim law, has been transferred
to Jerusalem and placed at the head of the new judicial system. In
time we may perhaps realize a parallel to the Philippine situation
with the old law administered in part by American judges and with
a gradual introduction of reforms in the subject matter.

Such then are the first steps in the Redemption of Palestine. As
for the future and as regards the larger aspects of the question I
only wish that all might read a stimulating book which has recently
appeared under the title of "The World Significance of a Jewish
State." (5) For its main thesis is one which is bound to challenge
our profound attention, viz. "the possibilities for political good
in an independent Jewish Palestine mediating between an insistent
East and a war tired Europe."

It was most fitting for Zionists to observe the anniversary of
Britain's declaration. In the years to come that announcement seems
destined to mean as much for the Jews throughout the world as the
Declaration of Independence has for the Americans. Both days are
likely to be "writ large" in the annals of human progress and as
the Peace Conference proceeds to grapple with its gigantic program
it will find no feature more interesting than that of carrying out
this promise to the Jewish people and thus insuring continued
progress in Palestine.

(1) "Jerusalem Delivered," THE BUILDER, IV, 301.
(2) See The Far Eastern Freemason, III, 335-338.
(3) London "Times."
(4) Special Bulletin No. 141 of that Provisional Executive
Committee for General Zionist Affairs.
(5) By A. A. Berle; reviewed in The Nation, Vol. 107, p. 104.
