Norman Bentwich, Leader in Brith Shalom, Herzl’s Collaborator, Dies at 88

Norman Bentwich, one of the earliest political Zionists in Britain, who worked closely with Theodor Herzi and a leader in Palestine during the 1920’s and 1930’s in the movement for a binational state, died here Friday at the age of 88. Between 1921 and 1929 he served as Attorney General of the Palestine Mandate government. During that period he was deeply involved in working for a rapprochement between the Jews and Arabs in Palestine as one of the leaders of Brith Shalom, and was active on behalf of Hebrew University. Bentwich, who was Cambridge educated, joined the civil service and served in Egypt. During World War I he was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British army and won the Military Cross. He left his post of Attorney General in 1929 after there was an attempt on his life. Between 1932 and 1951 he was professor of international relations at Hebrew University, dividing his time between Britain and Israel. After 1951 he resided in London where he devoted his time to social service, writing and activities within the framework of United Nation’s agencies. At one time he organized aid for Falashas of Ethiopia. But most of his energies and talents were devoted, in the last period of his life, to the Hebrew University as vice-chairman of the Board of Governors and chairman of the Executive of the British Friends of Hebrew University. Bentwich wrote some 20 books, including an autobiography, “Wanderer Between Two Worlds.”