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But would not the existence of a Jewish State, or the efforts to establish it, bring into suspicion the Jews’ patriotism in other countries, or even cause them to be driven to the new State? No more than a German, or a Swede, or an Italian is accused of unpatriotism if he decides to emigrate to the United States; no more than the German, or Swede, or Italian once in the United States is accused of unpatriotism towards the United States, or exhorted to go back to live in Germany or Sweden or Italy. In the modern world citizenship is optional. All these fears and shiverings are part of the Marrano malady. Indeed, the Jews already prosperously settled in any country would have rather less to fear than nowadays, since, by not going to the new State, they would make it clear to their fellow citizens that their patriotism was non-Jewish and their tie merely religious. Moreover, a successful Jewish State would drain off their surplus populations and deflect the streams of impending immigration. But, alas! the Palestine Charter is at present out of the question. Some suggest that we should go back to the methods of the Chovevi Zion and merely establish agricultural colonies in Palestine. But Palestine without a Charter offers no security of land tenure, no open method of holding property. Zion without Zionism is a hollow mockery. Consider the state of the eighty thousand Jews already in Palestine. The mere land does not make them holy if they lack the true Jewish spirit. While funeral services for Herzl were held in almost every synagogue in the world, the great German Synagogue in Jerusalem still counted him a heretic and ignored his passing. Instead, it has held a service blessing the arms of Russia. No, better Zionism without Zion than Zion without Zionism.

Leaving it to others to develop the present Palestine colonies, I should be inclined to turn elsewhere for a Provisional Palestine. Any territory which was Jewish, under a Jewish flag, would save the Jew’s body and the Jew’s soul, and become a rallying point for Zionism, a training school in self-government, a fulcrum of political influence and a nursery of agriculturists for Palestine when obtained. You remember that rolling pavement in the Paris Exhibition that aimed at doing away with cars and trains. The first pavement went slowly, so that you could jump on. From thence you leaped on to the real rolling pavement which carried you swiftly to your destination. I am afraid Palestine at one jump is too great an effort for us. It was too great even for Moses. He had to keep his people forty years in the desert. Sinai was his first pavement, and those who think nothing holy or Jewish can happen save in Palestine should remember that the Ten Commandments and the whole Law of Moses were given before the Jews got to Palestine at all. But where shall we obtain our halting-place, our first pavement?