Zionism in the Age of Dictators
by Lenni Brenner
Source of Publication: Click Here — Detailed Summary of Publication: Click Here
Brief Summary Below
In “Zionism in the Age of the Dictators,” the author explores the complex and controversial relationship between Zionist leaders and the Nazi regime during the 1930s and 1940s. One of the most striking revelations in the book is the extent to which some Zionist factions were willing to cooperate with the Nazis to advance their goals of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine.
Brenner documents several instances in which Zionist leaders offered to support the Nazis. For example, in 1941, the Fighters for the Freedom of Israel (LEHI), a militant Zionist group that would later become part of the Likud party, proposed an alliance with the Nazis. In a document submitted to the German government, the LEHI stated that they were seeking “the establishment of the historical Jewish state on a national and totalitarian basis, bound by a treaty with the German Reich.” They even offered “to actively participate in the war on Germany’s side.”
This shocking proposal was not an isolated incident. Throughout the 1930s, some Zionist leaders maintained contact with Nazi officials and attempted to negotiate agreements that would facilitate Jewish emigration from Germany to Palestine. The most notorious of these agreements was the Haavara Agreement, signed in 1933, which allowed Jews to transfer a portion of their assets to Palestine in exchange for German goods. While the agreement did enable some Jews to escape Nazi persecution, it also served to boost the German economy and undermined the international boycott of German products.
Brenner argues that these collaborations were driven by pragmatism and ideological affinity. Some Zionist leaders believed that the Nazis’ anti-Semitic policies would ultimately benefit the Zionist cause by encouraging Jewish emigration to Palestine. They also saw the Nazis as potential allies against their common enemy: the British, who controlled Palestine at the time.
Furthermore, some Zionist factions, particularly those on the far right, admired the Nazis’ authoritarianism and shared their belief in the importance of racial purity. The LEHI, for instance, was known for its extreme nationalism and willingness to use violence to achieve its goals. Its founder, Avraham Stern, even praised the Nazis as “a people of culture and conscience.”
Brenner’s book sheds light on a dark chapter in Zionist history and challenges the prevailing narrative of Zionist resistance to the Nazis. While many Jews did indeed fight bravely against the Nazis, either as partisans or in the Allied armies, the actions of some Zionist leaders during this period raised troubling questions about their priorities and tactics.
At the same time, it is essential to recognize that the Zionist movement was far from monolithic, and many Zionist leaders and organizations actively opposed the Nazis and worked to save Jewish lives. Brenner’s book should not be seen as an indictment of Zionism as a whole but rather as an expose of the actions of a particular faction within the movement.
Ultimately, “Zionism in the Age of the Dictators” is a reminder of the moral complexities and difficult choices faced by Jewish leaders during a time of unprecedented crisis. While some Zionist factions were willing to make deals with the devil to advance their goals, others remained steadfast in their opposition to the Nazis and their commitment to Jewish survival and self-determination.