Note
This is a letter sent by the movement Brit Shalom to people who displayed an interest in its journal. It serves as a "mission statement" and provides an insight into its social beliefs concerning Palestine.
Sir,
your name has been given to us as that of one who is interested in preserving the moral standard of the Jewish faith.
We, the Brith Shalom (Covenant of Peace) Society of Jerusalem therefore venture to draw your attention to the existence of our Society which endeavours to ensure that these moral standards shall be applied in dealing with the Jewish-Arab problems in Palestine.
We feel convinced that a Jewish National Home is only worthwhile if it is built upon a basis which provides for absolute justice for both Jew and Arab.
The Arabs today form 80% of the population of Palestine and their numbers are increasing. There is still room for a considerable increase of the Jewish population without harming Arab interests, but whether there will ever be a Jewish majority in Palestine it is impossible to say. But, in view of the Brith Shalom Society, a Jewish majority is not an essential condition of the Jewish National Home.
Whether there will be Jewish majority or not it is certain thot the Jewish population will never be able to swallow the Arab population. The Arabs are a proud and virile race, with an ancient culture and traditions.
The problem of the relations between Jew and Arab will always remain.
Today, there are 170,000 Jews in Palestine and 800,000 Arabs. Beyond the frontier of Palestine, there is a limitless sea of Arabs, nevertheless, Jewish knowledge of the Arabs is abysmally defective.
There is far too little attention paid by Jews to the necessity of maintaining friendly relations with them, even as a matter of political expediency. There is a serious lack of understanding of the inter-racial problems involved. Little attempt is made to look ahead and build up the Jewish National Home as an integral part of the future Palestinian State.
It was to deal with these deficiencies that the Brith Shalom Society was founded in 1925 in Jerusalem by a number of Zionists. In spite of attacks and criticisms in many quarters, the Society now commands the respect and support of many Jews in Palestine, England, Germany and the United States. Although it is not a political party and makes no attempt to recruit members on a large scale, we think it is fair to say that it exercises considerable influence on Zionist policy in Palestine.
You will notice that the Society has three main functions:
- To study the Arabs and all the inter-racial problems of Palestine.
- To work out and publicly advocate a policy for the development of Palestine based on the proper adjustment of Jewish and Arabs interests.
- To draw up and actively promote practical measures for the immediate improvement of Jewish and Arabs relations.
With regard to the study of inter-racial problems, a number of memoranda and monographs have been prepared of which we will be glad to send you copies or answer questions if you will indicate those aspects of the question in which you are particularly interested.
The Society’s policy for the development of Palestine is based on the following two principles:
First, that Palestine should be neither an Arab State nor a Jewish State, but a bi-racial State in which Jew and Arab have equal rights, without domination of the one by the other.
Secondly, that although Jews and Arabs will always have separate religious, cultural and nationalist organization, there should be joint administrative and social organization.
The Society has further elaborated a series of practical proposals for immediately improving Jewish and Arab relations. Some of these proposals are already being translated into reality by the persons primarily concerned.
If you read Hebrew you may be interested in the Society’s Hebrew journal, Sheifotenu (Our Aspirations), published monthly.
The information given in this letter is, we think, sufficient to indicate the main features of the attempt now being made to lift Jewish nationalism on to the highest possible moral plane. Jews always proudly claim that, having suffered persecution for so many centuries in so many countries, they at least, know how to tolerate their neighbours.
In this effort, we appeal for your sympathy and support.
the Brith Shalom Society