[lbo-talk] Re: "One Palestine, Complete"

[Chuck Grimes]

He makes a strong case that the British had no real strategic interest
in Palestine; they just sort of bumbled in and couldn't figure out how
to get out.  Sound familiar?

Great book, anyway. Friend of mine who teaches Jewish history told me
it was hugely controversial in Israel. Mike Larkin

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I just finished reading a similar history, from an introduction to Leo
Strauss's early writings (Michael Zank). Indeed it is fascinating
stuff.

I think the important thing to remember about the Brits was their
simultaneous manipulations of Trans-Jordan, the Arabian Peninsula, and
Iraq. The whole region was won from the Ottoman Empire in WWI. Oil and
imperial power moves against the French were the main concerns of the
British.

Once the British got the Balfour declaration into the League of
Nations Mandate for Palestine (1920), and the establishment of a
Jewish Agency, the British set about controlling Jewish immigration
through the Jewish Agency. Remember this history is simultaneous with
Lawrence and Faizal. I think I would say the Brits were not bumbling
or indifferent. They were pro-actively suppressing Jewish immigration
into Palestine. That become much clearer in the 30s when the Nazis
took power and the need for immigration became obvious and
desparate. The British stalled and put up more and more restrictions.

There is also an Israeli history website that list the key votes in
the WZO, Zionist Congresses from 1890-something on. You can read and
figure out the power politics almost directly from these minor
notes. The Congresses were established in Germany and were held there
mostly through the 20s, then switched to Switzerland once the Nazi
took over--then suspended until after the war. It is during the early
30s in Germany that the background for the collaboration between
some of the Zionist organizations and the Nazi administration of the
Jewish Question is set up---but this is waay controversial stuff. I
think only Hannah Arendt and few others have gone into any of this
history (reading suggestions welcome).

As a side note. Leo Strauss was up to his same old nasty tricks
working in the early Zionist organizations in Germany in the
20s---that is picking away at the loss of spiritual values in
political Zionism. Duh! What an asshole, all the way down.

After the Zionists, Strauss turns to guess who? Herr Carl
Schmitt, later to become legal consultant to the Third Reich,
helping to write Nazi laws. Just a great guy for Leo to suck up
to. Schmitt writes Strauss a letter of recommendation for a
Rockefeller foundation fellowship in Paris, and lucky Leo scoots from
Germany just in time in 1932!

Any dirt anybody can add to Leo's activities in the Zionist
organizations of the Weimar period---please feel free to contribute.

Chuck Grimes