Speech at the First Zionist Congress

Regarding the first point of the program, I was just given the honorific task to add a few words to its discussion. Although I find it very difficult at present to justify my assessment of this matter with complete clarity, I nevertheless regard it as my duty to do so. We are of the opinion that the term international law must appear in the program and precisely in the way in which it was used by Dr. Herzl in his pamphlet. Fifteen years ago, when the essay “Auto-Emancipation” appeared, the idea was loudly proclaimed to the world for the first time that Jewry wants “a homeland secured by international law” and that it can hope to attain it only by moving its public activity in that direction. In the course of time, the significance of this prophetic admonition was so weakened that nothing remained of it but, first, the colonization of Palestine, then the creation of a few colonies and, finally, the collection of charitable contributions. It had been a great historic ideal, but only petty deeds came of it. To what degree did the real and pure essence of that idea spread among the people? The main point, that with the help of this idea we endeavor to solve the Jewish Question, was almost forgotten.

Great was, therefore, the enthusiasm with which we welcomed this congress as the first step toward the realization of that historic beginning; mighty was the echo that Herzl’s call produced in our souls. Hence for us, it is not just a matter of a word, but of our entire future strategy; the word is only its symbol. In our opinion it is of the utmost importance that this congress publicly articulate its solution to the Jewish Question. The world is considering the Jewish question, but the Jews have taken a stance that is only humiliating. But our stance, our protest will be different, if we express it clearly: We want our own home, and we want it openly before the whole world. We do not want to be accused of covering up our goal. Everyone understands that a people must have a home; and thus we too can approach the world with the demand that we be granted such a home. Of course, just expressing our demand does not mean that we have achieved our goal. We, too, do not think that diplomats will be found right away who will work on granting us our wishes. But if we work on instilling in society ever more firmly the idea that the solution to the Jewish Question is to be found in this area, if we also design our strategy among the Jews along just these lines, if we agitate among the entire Jewish people, if we plough through them and turn them upside down, in a noble sense, then we will be successful internally and externally. We may then even arrive at the point, we hope, where we can pursue this strategy in the name of the entire Jewish nation and prepare ourselves for important historic moments.

Many believe that our youthful zeal, our imprudent rashness may seriously harm the work of colonization. It is possible that our openness about our goals may at present create problems for practical work. But gentlemen! Continuing the work of colonization of the past few years in the old style will not lead to anything. In the course of fifteen years we have settled a few thousand Jewish peasants; and no great interest was awakened among the Jews. It is a sad fact that the so-called practical activity ripped the Zionist movement out of the people, out of our hearts; we, the young people, were made ill by petty work masquerading as charitable activity, without a plan, without an organization, moving like smugglers, and without hope. At the beginning of the eighties, Russian Jewish students exulted in Zionist ideals. When the greatness of Zionism vanished, the enthusiasm evaporated.

What guarantees do we have that our strategy will not change, if we do not, from the start, accept a firm program that spells out that we are attempting to establish in Palestine “a homeland secured by international law”? We do not have to be afraid of those who resign because they are too cowardly and do not have the courage to follow us, since they have never been very useful to us. For the work of colonization the Jewish nation has managed to provide only a few ten thousand Swiss francs and a few thousand members per year; should we believe that the Jewish nation has done this with full awareness; should we believe that it is possessed of such a low degree of idealism where the question of life is concerned? But the Jewish masses were never confronted with the idea that what is at stake here is their well-being, their salvation, and the solution to the great national question, which cannot be ignored. That idea was not brought home to them; and for mere colonists in faraway Palestine they sacrificed adequate sums.

You must want to put us, the younger generation, to work! You must want to cause us to step out in front of the whole Jewish people to present to them the ideal of a homeland, to attempt to awaken in them an understanding of our firm program, and to organize it as a political endeavor along new roads and with new methods. Keeping this a secret has led to nothing; if we do not move the press and the public by speaking openly, our success will be minimal even among Jews. Therefore I am saying: All of this secretiveness is nothing but the self-deception of those who believe that the Turkish government does not know that we want to live in Palestine and start a political national life. It must know about it, because it is with this very body that the great Zionist Alliance is supposed to establish a relationship and pursue negotiations.

Finally, one more thing: How is it possible that despite our very different worldviews we are able to create a unified Alliance? It was the ideal of a “homeland secured by international law” that suppressed the schisms among us regarding other questions, schisms of a religious nature, or in our understanding of the national idea, which would be perfectly natural among us too. Hence it is important for our solidarity, for the solidarity of the entire Jewish people, that our ideal is clearly articulated.