Professor Selig Brodetsky, member of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, who has just returned to London from his visit to Palestine, speaking to-day of his impressions of the country, said:
The purpose of my visit was twofold: on the political side I wanted to get into closer touch with the questions surrounding the Government’s investigations in regard to development, and also to discuss with the High Commissioner the main problems affecting Palestine as well as the general
line of policy of the Mandatory Power. The second purpose was to acquire personal knowledge of conditions in Palestine so as to make my work in London more effective.
I had not visited the country for seven years, and in regard to many problems concerning which I had to deal with the Colonial Office, I felt that my intervention would be more useful if I acquired first-hand knowledge concerning them.
ACHIEVED HIS PURPOSE
Have I achieved that purpose? I think I can say yes. My visit was, of course, a very short one, but I did manage to see the High Commissioner on several occasions and discuss with him the most important problems of the day. I also met the Chief Secretary, the Director of Development and his financial adviser, the Director of the Census, the Acting Director of the Education Department. Needless to say, these conversations were conducted with the full knowledge of my colleagues. Owing to Dr. Arlossoroff’s illness, Dr. Neuman took part with me in one of my conversations with the High Commissioner.
On the Jewish side I met representative Jews of all sections. I visited Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Jacob Meir, I came into intimate contact with representatives of the Vaad Leumi, of the General Zionists, with representatives of the Palestine Workers’ Party, and I visited a number of colonies of various types; I met the representatives of the business community of Haifa, and had many conversations with the chief representatives of the Tel Aviv Municipality, so that I think I have acquired a considerable amount of first-hand impressions.
On the political side, I may say that the conversations with the High Commissioner were particularly cordial, and I am hoping that they will form the basis for further conversations in London.
PALESTINE NOW IN PHASE OF VERY ACTIVE EXPANSION
Did I find the country very much changed since my last visit in 1925? It is not easy for me to compare, because in 1925 I looked with the eyes of a private Zionist. Nevertheless, I must say that there has been a remarkable change in the country. Both agriculturally and in the towns great development has taken place. Palestine is now in a phase of very active expansion. Wherever one goes one sees evidences of this development. The progress in the colonies, in the Kvuzoth and other types is very marked. Some of them are already self-supporting. Others are well on the road in the same direction. All of them are consolidated and convey a solidity and firmness which fill one with encouragement and satisfaction with our colonisation work. This feeling of gratification with agricultural work and the achievements of the Faluzim is only saddened by the thought that owing to inadequate means the colonisation work is not proceeded with at a greater pace.
Tel Aviv is really a remarkable city, full of energy and activity. There is no place in the world where one can feel so intensely Jewish and happy in one’s Jewishness as in Tel Aviv. In the case of Haifa, there is an obvious growth, The Jews are anxious that as a result of this rapid development to which they contribute an important Jewish centre should be formed in Haifa.
Perhaps the intensest impression that I carried away from everywhere, Dr. Brodetsky said, was the way in which Palestine works. I doubt if there is any place in the world where so much work is done at any given time. What is more remarkable still is that this work is joyful and accompanied by a hopefulness in which respect Palestine is probably unique to-day. There is an obvious progress also in Jerusalem, though perhaps not so noticeable as in the other cities, for despite the fact that Jews constitute a majority of the population, the municipality is in absolute control of non-Jews.
JEWISH PALESTINE THOROUGHLY WELL ESTABLISHED: SPIRIT OF YISHUB ONE OF INTENSE DISSATISFACTION POLITICALLY BUT NO DOUBT ABOUT SOLIDITY OF FOUNDATIONS LAID AND DETERMINATION TO GO AHEAD
One thing is clear, and that is that the Jewish Palestine built up so far is thoroughly well established; in fact, it is a revelation to anybody coming from outside; especially after the last two or three years of political convulsions during which many of us seem to have forgotten that there is a living and growing Jewish Palestine which will live and grow in spite of everything.
About the spirit of the Yishub. This is the spirit of the Yishub-there is an intense dissatisfaction politically, but there is not a grain of doubt in anybody’s mind about the solidity of the foundations laid so far, and the determination to go ahead. If there is any doubt at all, it is in relation to the attitude of Jewry in the Galuth. During the last year or two Palestine Jewry, as result of the inadequate financial assistance from outside, has been forced to undertake its own burdens more and more. In this respect Palestine Jewry has done wonders, and there can be no question that the Yishub has displayed a remarkable strength which compares very favourably with that of Jewry outside Palestine.
The time has come for Jews outside Palestine to realise the almost unlimited possibilities of Palestine for themselves individually and for the nation as a whole. There is some indication of this realisation to-day, but much will have to be done to lead the Jews of the world to discover Palestine as the land not only of Jewish ideal hopes, but of physical reality and economic strength. Both private capital and national resources in the Keren Hayesod and Keren Kayemeth are needed in order to take full advantage of the opportunities which exist.
CANNOT OVERLOOK FACT TILL PRESENT NO POSITIVE INDICATION OF CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT POLICY BUT INCLINED TO BELIEVE POSSIBILITIES FOR POLITICAL IMPROVEMENT EXIST
About the political position, I am not generally in favour of giving diagnoses about political positions. Political matters are always complicated and dependent on factors which vary from day to day. We cannot overlook the fact that up to the present there has been no very positive indication of change of policy on the part of the Government, and we shall have to work very hard before such clear indication will be available. Still, I can say that after my conversations with the High Commissioner, I am inclined to the view that possibilities for political improvement exist. I am also convinced, however, that our ability to take advantage of these political possibilities will largely depend on our own efforts in the country. The financial difficulties of the Jewish Agency are a serious and grave factor, both vis-a-vis the Yishub and the Government. It is not a purely internal problem, and the movement will have to exercise the greatest possible care in this respect.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
