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Is Territorialism Solution to Problem?

November 21, 1934
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The Jewish Ledger, official organ of the B’nai B’rith and of the Temple Sisterhoods of New Orleans, dealing with the question of territorialism as a solution to the Jewish problem, writes as follows:

Not only to our own people, but to the world at large, too, has the Jewish problem become a burning question. And not only to our friends, who sympathize with us in the plight in which millions of our people find themselves, has the solution of the problem become a matter of serious concern, but our enemies are also giving it attentive consideration.

Strange to say, the solution favored by friend and foe alike is the solution which is being advocated by many of our own people — territorialism. But this is meant the settlement of large numbers of Jews in some new territory, where they can live unmolested. The idea is, of course, not new. More than thirty years ago the question of territorialism was hotly debated at Zionist Congresses. What is new, however, is the fact that our enemies are advocating, with different motives, the same sort of solution as do our own people. Thus, a Jewish “Territorial League” was founded recently in Poland with the assistance of Jewish leaders from a number of European countries. About the same time, Polish anti-Semites came forward with a proposition to turn over the swamps in the district of Pinsk to the Jews so that they might dry them and keep a large area for an autonomous Jewish settlement. A similar measure, on a much larger scale, is being advocated by the World Anti-Jewish Congress, which has just met in Switzerland and decided to find some territo### in which to settle all the Jews.

Needless to say that the World Anti-Jewish Congress, and the Polish anti-Semites are moved by hatred and not love for the Jews in their advocacy of an autonomous Jewish settlement. They simply want to rid themselves of the Jews. Yet, even knowing their motives and intentions, our people in lands of oppression might be willing to oblige them, if it were really possible to find a territory for that purpose. But where is such a territory to be found?

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