Volume 2 — APPENDICES (continued 7)

“3. The existence of large plots of undivided (musho’a) land belonging to several owners jointly who are, however, unable to determine their respective shares.—The natural result is that, there being no inducements to carry out improvements, the land is neglected. If measures were taken to effect the division of the land, the results would be beneficial both to the Government and to the owners.”

In addition to this statement, Mr. Vice-Consul P. Abela of Haifa reported (1911):⁠—

“There is a possibility of great agricultural enterprise in the fertile and extensive plains near Haifa, and arrangements have been made with some big proprietors to let the property for development. Were it not for the Turkish laws prohibiting foreign companies to hold land in Turkey, great progress might have been made in this direction.”

(From the Jaffa Report for 1912, No. 5107. Annual Series. June, 1913):—

“Public works.—The roads have not been touched, except for a few patchings in the town, and are in the worst state of repair imaginable.

“The harbour concession, owing to the difficulties arising from the confused political state of the capital, has not yet been obtained.... It is now nearly fifteen years that negotiations have been going on with regard to the project, and considering the enormous benefits that would accrue from its realization to every branch of the local trade, its perpetual postponement is deplorable. The present open roadstead is dangerous both for passengers and goods trade, and frequently prevents vessels from communicating at all. The resulting losses to the district are too obvious to be mentioned.

“The lack of public security.—The inhabitants of the Jewish colonies have to pay from £6 10s. annually per family in organising their own means of defence, and even then suffer from insecurity.

“The tithe.—This tax is levied on a system which has the disadvantages both of discouraging cultivation and being wasteful and comparatively unproductive. Its incidence on individuals is also in many cases unfair and crippling. The whole system is in need of radical revision.

“The backward state of public works.—The present roads are fit for nothing but camel traffic, and agriculturists have no satisfactory means of embarking their goods at Jaffa without great expense and loss through deterioration.”

LXXXVIII.

The following is an example of Moore’s Zionist songs:⁠—

ADVENT OF THE MILLENNIUM

But who shall see the glorious day,

When throned on Zion’s brow,

The Lord shall rend that veil away

Which blinds the nations now?

When earth no more beneath the fear

Of his rebuke shall lie;

When pain shall cease, and every tear

Be wiped from every eye?

Then, Judah, thou no more shalt mourn

Beneath the heathen’s chain;

Thy days of splendour shall return,

And all be new again.

The fount of life shall then be quaff’d,

In peace by all who come;

And every wind that blows shall waft

Some long-lost exile home.

Moore.

(See Volume I, page 12.)

LXXXIX.

Cremieux’s Circular to the Jews in Western Europe⁠¹

“Aux Juifs de l’Occident.

“... Pendant mon séjour en Egypte, dans le cours de cette belle mission qui portait vers nos frères de l’Orient les sympathies si ardentes de leurs frères de l’Occident, j’étais vivement ému de l’aspect de la malheureux population qui s’offrait à mes yeux. Foules aux pieds depuis tant de siècles, les débris de la nation juive, autrefois nation puissante dans ces contrées même, ont perdu l’energie qui seule donné à l’homme quelque ressort en lui rappelant qu’il est l’œuvre de Dieu. La source qui vivifie toutes les facultés de notre intelligence, l’instruction n’est pas même connue du nom dans cette Alexandria, si brillante, il y a quelques siècles, par les lumières des juges et des docteurs israelites....

“De l’Orient est sortie la religion qui nous unit tous d’une chaîne à la fois si étroite et si noble.... Du Caire et d’Alexandria le feu sacre se répandra bientôt vers Dames et Jérusalem. L’Orient va se ranimer....”

¹ Archives Israelites de France, vol. ii., 1841, p. 185.

(See Volume I, p. 180.)

XC.

THE BANNER OF THE JEWS

(By Emma Lazarus)

Wake, Israel, Wake! Recall to-day

The Glorious Maccabean rage,

The sire heroic, hoary-gray,

His five-fold lion-lineage,

The wise, the elect, the Help-of-God,

The burst of Spring, the Avenging Rod.

From Murpeh’s mountain ridge they saw

Jerusalem’s empty streets: her shrine

Laid waste where Greeks profaned the law

With idol and with pagan sign.

Mourners in tattered black were there

With ashes sprinkled on their hair.

Then from the stony peak there rang

A blast to ope the graves: down poured

The Maccabean clan, who sang

Their battle anthem to the Lord.

Five heroes lead, and following, see

Ten thousand rush to victory!

Oh for Jerusalem’s trumpet now,

To blow a blast of shattering power,

To wake the sleepers high and low,

And rouse them to the urgent hour!

No hand for vengeance, but to save,

A million naked swords should wave.

Oh, deem not dead that martial fire,

Say not the mystic flame is spent!

With Moses’ law and David’s lyre,

Your ancient strength remains unbent.

Let such an era rise anew,

To lift the “Banner of the Jew!”

(See Volume I, p. 243.)

XCI.

“The Advanced Guard”

Programme of the Committee appointed to found a colony to be called Rishon Le’Zion (1882).

“A. The acquisition of land.—The Committee will select according to its judgment, a suitable site for the colony, will purchase the same from the owners of the ground and execute a deed of purchase, in the name of the President and two members of the Committee. If some charitable association make a grant of money towards the purchase of the land, in that case the Committee will be in a position to buy it in the name of such association. If it be bestowed as a gift the deed of purchase will be in accordance with its regulation and that of this Committee.

“B. The acquisition of houses.—The Committee have prepared plans respecting houses and stalls for herds and flocks, the purchase of bricks, wood and all the requisites of a dwelling-house. It will appoint inspectors over the work-people and a surveillance will be exercised by the officers of the colony or those of the Committee.

“C. The obtaining of cattle and implements.—The Committee will choose experienced men either from the members of the Committee or from the colony to hand over to them money for the purchase of cattle and proper implements of ploughing adapted to each family. These will be bestowed on them according to priority.

“D. The wants of the congregation.—The Committee will provide money for the erection of a synagogue, a Talmud Torah school, a hospital, bath and washhouses, also for the erection of a small trading mart to be managed in accordance with the regulations laid down by the officers of the colony for the necessary transactions.”