July 3, 1896
In an article entitled "The Jewish State", the JC reported that the creation of an "essentially modern" Jewish state, in Syria, was the solution to growing antisemitism.
"We understand that the informal negotiations set on foot last year for the establishment of a Jewish Autonomous State in Syria have made considerable progress, and that a meeting will be held... under the auspices of the Maccaboean Society to consider the report of Dr Theodor Herzl, of Vienna, the author of the new scheme.
"This scheme... differs both in its inception and its methods from many similar projects... It is essentially modern. Hitherto, the dreams of a re-establishment of the Jews in Palestine have been confined, more or less, to the Ultra-Orthodox Hebrews in retrograde countries like Russia and Morocco, where persecution is largely bound up with despotic forms of government. The present scheme... is a despairing reaction against the spread of anti-semitism in constitutional countries like Austria and Germany.
"The plan of the proposed state takes little account of the religious and mystical elements of former projects and, put briefly, is an attempt not so much to fulfil prophecy as to found a political centre for the Jewish race."
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Just a note of clarification to better understand what is meant by the quoted material above:
In this context (and at the date shown), "Syria" referred to the entire area - including the modern country of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel - the only two ancient areas included here are Israel and Lebanon, the other two having been created after World War I...
The words Syria, Levant, Middle East, etc. are used to indicate the entire region.
The other word used, "Palestine" also refers generally to the "Holy Lands" as the Latin name (given by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 135 CE) was kept alive by Christian cartographers to distance the area from the long-term name of Judea as it would signify the connection of Jews to the land.
In other words, "Syria" here does not mean the country we today call Syria and "Palestine" does not refer to the British Mandate of Palestine (which didn't happen until after WWI as well).
Yes, that a very important clarification, Suzanne. And thanks for expanding on it (sometimes I take things for granted) as it does significantly add to our understanding of the historical development of what some people call the "conflict" (which I think is just a conflict of under-intelligence or willingness to realize how they're all wrong).
Thanks for your multiple visits and comments here at my blog. And good luck tourguiding.
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