An outline of measures that would help to create a rapprochement between Jews and Arabs in Palestine is given by Dr. Albert Einstein in an interview published in the Juedische Stimme, local Zionist organ. Dr. Einstein also approves in principle of the activities of the Brith Shalom Society, a Palestinian group actively propagating peace between Arabs and Jews.
Dr. Einstein points out that “it is impossible for two peoples to live in the same country without regular collaboration in the economic and political spheres. A particularly difficult problem is to establish contact with the Arabs, gain their confidence and have them understand that it is not intended to affect their economic well-being. Through patient political work the attempt must be made to break the influence of unconciliable elements and professional politicians. It must be remembered that England can only help us when we facilitate her task by ourselves establishing relations with the Arabs,” Dr. Einstein declared.
He recommended that particular attention be paid to a study of the Arabic language “because otherwise it is impossible to establish effective contact.” He also believes it necessary to establish relations between the moderates of “both camps who are not connected with politics as a profession in order to consider sore points and matters of mutual interests. Politics from motives of prestige must be avoided.”
Pointing out that the Jewish people or “rather Jewry forms in the first place a cultural commonwealth” and that the assistance of valuable elements “can only be secured if the Arab question is solved in the sense of an honest understanding between nations,” Professor Einstein said, “In the near future it is important chiefly to establish close relations between the working masses and the line of action taken by the General Federation of Jewish Labor in this direction is suitable.”
Dr. Einstein also considers the plan of Dr. Arthur Ruppin, Jewish colonization expert in Palestine, for close and intensive colonization as suitable for the establishment of better economic as well as political relations. “Through constant fights in Palestine the better elements of the Jews have been driven from the movement and it is in the interests of the upbuilding of Palestine as an idealistic movement of enormous importance to secure a peaceful understanding on political problems,” he concluded.
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.
