The American Israelite · Cincinnati, Ohio · 26 February 1920

CP-1920-001

Criticizes Zionists' Methods

Palestinian Restoration Should Not Be at Expense of General War Relief Work

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Transcribed from the clipping

“Zionists who seek to advance their cause at the expense of general Jewish relief were scored in a sermon delivered by Rabbi David Philipson at the Rockdale Avenue Temple, Cincinnati. In speaking on ‘The Mission of Israel,’ Dr. Philipson led up to the striking injunction which he sought to impress.

He spoke as follows: ‘Those American Jews who advocate the universalistic interpretation of the mission of Israel do not recognize any homeland but the United States.

We repudiate altogether a statement like that recently made by Max Nordau, possibly the foremost Zionist leader, who urged that Jews, though citizens of other lands, yet consider Palestine in the light of a homeland. This doctrine of what might be called a superstate is dangerous and we non-Zionists have absolutely no sympathy with it.

In our view Palestine, whenever the independent Palestinian state will be founded, will be a homeland for Palestinian Jews, as the United States is for us. It is not our homeland in any sense. There is, however, another question which forces itself at this time.

A drive is on at present, or will be very soon, for Palestinian relief under the auspices of the Zionist organisation of America. It is regrettable that Zionists are using this for Zionist propaganda, as has appeared recently in this city.

It goes without saying that all Jews ought to and doubtless wish to do what they can for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Palestinian institutions, but this movement should be under general and not under specific Zionist auspices, even as is the movement for the relief of the suffering and destitute Jews in Poland, Galicia and other lands…’”

Context added by this archive

An American rabbi in 1920 using “Palestinian” four times as an ordinary adjective — Palestinian state, Palestinian Jews, Palestinian relief, Palestinian institutions — and speaking of “the independent Palestinian state” as something that will be founded.

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• The day anti-Zionism was first compared to antisemitism

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