- זיך איינגעשריבן
- אוג. 14, 2024
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Before World War II, the mainstream Zionist leadership in
Mandatory Palestine
and the World Zionist Organization (WZO) did not participate in the international boycott of
Nazi Germany
. Instead, they actively opposed it by signing the Haavara (Transfer) Agreement with the Nazi regime in 1933.
The key details regarding this decision are:
The Haavara Agreement (1933)
- Purpose: Negotiated between the WZO (through the Anglo-Palestine Bank) and the Nazi Ministry of Economics, the pact allowed German Jews to emigrate to Palestine while salvaging a portion of their assets.
- Mechanism: Emigrants' assets in Germany were used to purchase German-made goods for export to Palestine. The proceeds from selling these goods in Palestine were then returned to the immigrants upon arrival.
- Impact on the Boycott: By facilitating the export and sale of German goods, this agreement effectively broke the global Jewish-led boycott of Nazi Germany.
Reasons for the Zionist Stance
Mainstream Zionist leaders, such as those from the Mapai party (Labour Zionism), prioritized building the Jewish homeland (the Yishuv) over the boycott for several reasons:
- Salvaging Assets: It was seen as a pragmatic way to help Jews escape with some wealth, which was otherwise being confiscated by the Nazis.
- Building the State: The agreement brought approximately 60,000 Jewish immigrants and significant capital (estimated at over $35 million) into Palestine, strengthening the local economy and infrastructure.
- Alternative to Persecution: They argued the boycott was ineffective and might provoke further Nazi reprisals against German Jews, whereas the agreement offered a tangible exit route.
Internal Zionist Opposition
The decision was highly controversial and created deep divisions within the Zionist movement:
- Revisionist Zionists: Led by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, this right-wing faction fiercely condemned the agreement as a "betrayal" of Jewish unity and a moral failure.
- 1935 Zionist Congress: A resolution to end the agreement narrowly failed at the Nineteenth Zionist Congress in 1935.
- International Backlash: Many Jewish organizations in the United States and Europe, such as the American Jewish Congress, were outraged that the WZO had undermined their primary weapon against the Nazi regime.
