ECONOMIC BASIS OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT
PALESTINE is the connecting link between three continents. Europe is only a short distance to the north, while Egypt and North Africa touch its southern boundary. To the east lies the rich, but undeveloped Orient, while westward is the Mediterranean Sea, with all of its opportunities for industry and commerce. Geographically, Palestine is the key to the Orient, and this fact has made our ancient home the battleground between the East and the West. In the earliest days, it was the fertile strip of land connecting the civilizations of Egypt anıl Babylon, and offering a pathway for the diverse peoples. After the conquests of Alexander, when Grecian civilization was spreading throughout the Mediterranean countries, the Land of Israel, was the stepping-stone between the splendor of Antioch and the enlightenment of the country of the Ptolemies.
If geographic position is of importance in history, Palestine is destined to be the home of a great industrial people. With its front door opening on the Mediterranean Sea and the wealth of China and India in its rear, the land of our forefathers is the proper home for a race of business men and economists. And who is to play this grand role in commerce and industry? The Turks—and I say if without any attempt at criticism—are unfitted both by temperament and training for large industrial enterprises, and have neglected the splendid opportunities of the Holy Land. In the olden days, the Jews called it “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Now, with the modern development of science and industry, we can make Palestine the great “exchange” between the East and the West—the industrial market of Europe in its intercourse with Asia and Africa.
Palestine is a small country of about IT,- 000 square miles—a little larger than Massachusetts, and one and a half times the size of New Jersey. The population is
about 700,000, or about one-fourth that of New Jersey and one-fifth that of Massachusetts. There are now 100,000 Jews in: Palestine, or about one-seventh of the entire population. Properly developed, it could easily support two or three millions- of Jews. In other words, we ought to be: able to establish a Jewish community on: our ancient soil equal, in numbers, to theentire Jewish population of present day Austria-Hungary, or to one-half the Jewish population of Russia, and of rebuilding. the House of Israel with the prospect of a decent national existence free from the- pogroms of the Russian mujicks or the: “refined” anti-Semitism of the Germans.
Servia has a population of a little over two millions, or about twice as many people as there are Jews in the City of New: York. Yet because she has a distinct culture (however insignificant) and a definite territory, Servia plays a role in the annals of the nations. With our superior culture and intelligence, we should be able: to bring back to Palestine something of her ancient greatness. In the days of old, that little country was the laboratory for moral codes, and to-day we might turn: Palestine into a great experiment field for social reform. -
We have already begun the work for the redemption of Israel. Faithful Jewish pioneers are now laying the foundations of a Jewish state by their labor for the agricultural development of Palestine.e We have now nearly ten thousand Jewish’ farmers who are tilling the soil which their ancestors plowed thousands of years ago: In these colonies, Hebrew is the native tongue, and the children are “native-born” Zionists. Our present work in Palestine con: sists largelyıin increasing the number ofJewish farmers, extending educational opportunities and establishing trade schools that will prepare the people for the future commercial expansion of the Land of Israel We are particularly anxious for the success of the Jewish colonies, for we Zion-