The Zionist Organization and French Alliance
A GREAT deal of attention has been paid in the Zionist and Turkish press to the misrepresentations of Zionism made by representatives of the Alliance Israelite Universelle, to the Turkish authorities. In order to have these misrepresentations cease, and to avoid a controversy which was injurious, not only to Zionism but to the Jews of the Ottoman Empire, President David Wolffsohn addressed a letter, dated February 21, to the President of the Alliance, Narcisse Levene. In this letter Herr Wolffsohn ventured to express the hope that the Alliance representatives in Turkey would be instructed to the effect that the tactics hitherto employed were not approved by the central office, and that he, Mr. Levene, perceived a danger therein to the general Jewish welfare. To this letter, M. Levene replied under date of March 3, as follows:
NARCISSE LEVENS'S LETTER.
You attribute to the Alliance, in regard to the polemics aroused in Turkey by Zionism, a role and influence which are not justified by the facts. Our work has been established in Turkey for about 50 years; the programme which we have endeavoured to realise in this country, as in all countries in which our activity is exercised, has always strictly been as follows: to work for the material, intellectual and moral uplifting of the Jewish population, to inspire the young generation with a knowledge and love of Judaism, with a taste for the work of regeneration and the most faithful attachment to their country. We are pursuing our task in this spirit with a profound sense that we are fulfilling our duty towards the Ottoman Jews.
When, with the advent of the new regime in Turkey, the liberty of the press was proclaimed, Zionism used this for the pur-
pose of developing its programme and winning adherents. That was evidently its right. We have never at any moment thought of disputing this and we have never by any means, and in whatever light we may have regarded the question— tried to hinder its activity. But the spokesmen of Zionism have not limited themselves to spreading their ideas; in order to make them penetrate into circles which are still hardly accustomed to weigh the value of the printed word, they attacked, often with the most regrettable violence, saw in their propaganda a possible danger for Ottoman Judaism. We may simply recall the calumnies spread by the Zionist organs, even by Die Welt against the Alliance, its objects, its methods, its institutions. Nevertheless, the Alliance has never published a line of reply to these accusations. The moderate and wise elements among the Jewish population of Turkey, those who enjoy the highest moral authority, disapproved of the propaganda of Zionism in Turkey. The new government having laid down the principle to establish cohesion among the diverse ethnic elements of the population, the Israelites convinced themselves that the propagation of Zionist ideas was interpreted in Ottoman circles as favouring particularist ideas, capable of compromising the national unity. It was the Zionist organs that instituted he “method of combat” of which you now point out the deplorable consequences. It vas natural that those Ottoman Jews who eproved the activity of the Zionists should eck to clear themselves from any solidar- ty with a movement which seemed to them langerous. They replied to the attack; hey had to defend themselves, to justify hemselves in the eyes of their fellow- itizens. The attack was bitter, the defence as likewise, and as is inevitable exag- crations were committed on both sides. You now beg us to intervene among ir “Vertrauensmanner” to recall them to