Zionist activity in Poland (1918-1948)

Abstract

This study tackles the issue of the Zionist activity in Poland between 1918 and 1948. The study highlighted the origins of the Poland's Jews descendants of the Khazar Kingdom, and the background of the Jewish presence in it. The study addressed their isolated lifestyle, which created several neighboring enemies for them, and the conditions that paved the way for the emergence of the Zionist ideas in Poland. The study explained the concept of nationalism among the Jews, their attempt to get autonomy in Poland during the conciliation conference in Versailles in 1919, and the establishment of the national Jewish Council in Poland. The study also presented organizations and parties of the Polish Jewish, their stance against the Zionist movement, and their political and social activity, which contributed to the control of the Jewish community and direct its thoughts away from the integration with the Polish people. The study presented the dual stance of the Zionist movement during World War II (1939-1945) against Britain and Nazi movement, and reviewed some of the positions of the Zionist leaders of the Nazi movement, and their role in the incitation of the Nazis on the Jews to push them to immigrate to Palestine. This investigation showed the areas of institutional and non-institutional cooperation between Zionist and Nazi movements, and revealed the most important areas of secret and public cooperation between Nazi movement and the Zionist organizations (Jawdnerat and Stern Organization). The study focused on the social and economic Jews life inside the ghettos and the concentration camps established by Nazi movement to contain the anti-Nazi and then using them as man power during World War II. The study also showed the origin of the word “Holocaust” and the connecting mentioned in Torah between establishment of the State of Israel and a major event that exterminates millions of them. The study also discussed the sanctity of fire among the Jews, and investigated the most important issues associated with the situation of Jews during the Nazi rule of Poland including concentration camps, the reality of the murder of six million Jews, and the use of poisonous gas. The study also explained some of the Zionist authors’ stances against these lies. The study introduced a number of the Zionist figures who were born and grew up in Poland, and explained their role to support and strengthen the Zionist project, and their impact on the founding and establishment of the Zionist entity on the land of Palestine. The study traced the mutual efforts of the Zionists in Poland and the Polish government in the training of the Jews to work, and be physically and intellectually prepared prior to their displacement to Palestine, secretly or publically. The study highlighted the efforts of the military Zionist organizations, Haganah, Irgun, and Betar, in the deal-making with the Polish government to buy weapons and train Jews to use them, which contributed to the establishment of the Zionist entity.