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Thomas Mann and Palestine: Sympathises with the Creation of a Jewish National Home.

August 5, 1931
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“I fully sympathise with the idea of creating a Jewish National Home in Palestine. However, I have no sympathy for those extreme Zionists who follow in the path of the German extremist groups”.

This statement was made to-day to the correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Mr. Thomas Mann, the famous German novelist and Nobel Prize Winner, upon his arrival in Kovno.

Mr. Mann expressed his opinion that the extremists in the Zionist Organisation are causing a great deal of harm to the Jewish national movement. The Jews can establish cooperation with the Arabs in a peaceful way only, he stated.

Mr. Mann informed the correspondent that he is now working on a new novel entitled “Joseph and His Brethren”. It is a biblical theme, he said, and in order to have a good background I made a special trip to Palestine, paying particular attention to Jewish life there.

I was greatly impressed with the work of the Haluzim in Palestine, Mr. Mann continued. The Haluzim impressed me as genuine idealists, he added.

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