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J. D. B. News Letter

November 6, 1929
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The Zionists must give up the hope of having a Jewish nationality dominant in Palestine.” was the statement of Rabbi William H. Fineshriber, preaching at Temple Keneseth Israel here Sunday.

“The real cause of the uncalled-for slaughter of the innocents in Palestine-something much like the old pogroms-is a clash between two cultures,” said Dr. Fineshriber. “There is today an Oriental revolt against the West in India, too, and in Egypt. Again our people have been the scapegoat to bear the burden of the sins of the nations.

“Some have said: ‘The Jews of the world must continue to pour into Palestine thousands and thousands and thousands!’

“When they are told this policy will lead to more massacres, they answer: ‘That’s the burden Jews have to bear.’

“The proposal is stupid and cruel. It is no solution. It is an injustice to the unfortunate Polish and Rumanian Jews who would bear the brunt of it.

“The traditional way of dealing with the problem is to say: ‘England hasn’t done her duty-she must send more soldiers and put Zionist sympathizers in control.’

“That’s simply the old philosophy of force. There are some Judges today who make this same mistake of thinking that the problem of moral delinquency can be settled by force.

“English force has failed in Egypt. It must be understood that there are different peoples in the world, each with a right to its own civilization and culture.

“Pacification, not force, is the solution. Zionists and non-Zionists should not enrage the Arabs by speaking blatantly of ‘the coming Jewish majority.’ That will stimulate to new excesses.

“What we want is peace. We must have a rapprochement with the Arabs. There is some justice on the Arabs’

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(Continued from Page 3) side. Do we want to make the Arabs, today 800,000 as compared with 150,000 Jews, a minority?-that is, a festering sore?

“We must open the council table. We must say to our Arab friends, who have been 1300 years in Palestine: ‘You’ve a right to be here. We want to stimulate Arab culture.”

“Five or ten years under some plan of procedure of this sort would lead to peace. But it means the Zionists must give up the hope of having a Jewish nationality dominant in the land.

“We’re Jews by religion first-only secondly are we Jews by birth. Peace is our ideal Shall we pave the way to more massacre and bloodshed? We have played the role of pacificator of the world. What boots it to establish a Jewish nationality in Palestine if it be based on force? That which is built by the sword must fall,” Rabbi Fineshriber declared.

Mayor Walker was among the speakers of the dedication exercises of the Jamaica Jewish Centre, Finishing and Amherst Avenues. Jamaica, L. L. Sunday afternoon, Judge Irving Lehman of the Court of Appeals, Chief Justice Edward Latensky of the Appellate Division, Magistrate Benjamin Marvin, president of the Centre, and Dr. Jacob Kohn, president of the United Synagogue of America, delivered addresses.

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