Jewish Extra-Territorial Citizenship

Oliver Locker-Lampson had an idea and on April 12, 1938 he raised it in the House of Parliament of which he was a member, saying:

my idea is this: Although I hold to the creation of a State in Palestine of possibly millions of Jews who will act as a buffer State against any military monster who may advance from the North to seize the Canal or cut the pipe-line which provides our only oil supply in the Mediterranean, the purpose of my Bill is this: It is forgotten that it is a very ancient principle, that of preserving citizenship to subjects of a State who remain abroad. For instance, there have been more citizens of Norway living outside than in Norway in one period of that country's history. I would like to give the potentially persecuted Jew in Europe the chance, if he wishes it, of becoming a Palestinian subject. Why, for instance, should Jews in Poland, who cannot move to Palestine, not be able to take up extra-territorial citizenship? They would then become what Jews are in Palestine, protected persons under the Mandate and freemen of a State. They could pay a yearly fee for the Government of Palestine, which would make that place once again a land flowing with milk and money.

He was opposed by a Colonel Brown who declared

I understood my hon. and gallant Friend to say that Jews everywhere should have Palestinian nationality. That is just enough to inflame all the feelings of patriotism amongst Mohammedans in Palestine. I say quite seriously to my hon. and gallant Friend that statements of that kind made in this House may mean the loss of several lives of British police and soldiers in Palestine. 

At the end of a tie vote the Bill was ordered to be brought in.

But it did not evolve into legislation.

And we know what happened to the Jews of Europe.

(h/t)

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