Churchill and the Jews: A Lifelong Friendship

By Martin Gilbert

Book Overview

An insightful history of Churchill's lifelong commitment--both public and private--to the Jews and Zionism, and of his outspoken opposition to anti-Semitism ? Winston Churchill was a young man in 1894 when Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was convicted of treason and sent to Devil's Island. Despite the prevailing anti-Semitism in England as well as on the Continent, Churchill's position was clear: he supported Dreyfus, and condemned the prejudices that had led to his conviction. Churchill's commitment to Jewish rights, to Zionism--and ultimately to the State of Israel--never wavered. In 1922, he established on the bedrock of international law the right of Jews to emigrate to Palestine. During his meeting with David Ben-Gurion in 1960, Churchill presented the Israeli prime minister with an article he had written about Moses, praising the father of the Jewish people. Drawing on a wide range of archives and private papers, speeches, newspaper coverage, and wartime correspondence, Churchill's official biographer, Sir Martin Gilbert, explores the origins, implications, and results of Churchill's determined commitment to Jewish rights, opening a window on an underappreciated and heroic aspect of the brilliant politician's life and career.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805078800
• ISBN13: 9780805078800
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 359 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

More insight into the astounding Mr. Churchill

The 20th Century produced many astounding men, many of them evil. One of the few great democrats of the age was Winston S. Churchill. Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Churchill, has produced one enthralling volume after another. Churchill's involvement with public life and, more importantly, his impact upon it never ceases to amaze. To read of everything Churchill was involved with - some of the most momentous events of the century that still reverberate today - staggers the imagination. In this volume, Gilbert examines Churchill's relationship with Jews in general and his involvement with the Balfour Declaration, Zionism and the creation of the State of Israel. Churchill's first 'political involvement in Jewish concerns" occurred in 1904 when he stood for election for Manchester North-West, where a third of the population was Jewish. From that point on, Churchill's career often came into contact with Jewish concerns or, conversely, concerns about the Jews. He long supported the aspirations for a Jewish homeland. He protested mistreatment of the Jews by the Russians, Germans and others. He was deeply offended by the radical Jewish terrorists who sought to hasten the creation of Israel. He believed there was a need to turn Jews toward Zionism and away from Bolshevism. Churchill, indeed, considered himself to be a Zionist. Churchill's humanism, tolerance, foresight, classic liberalism and just plain decency are all on display in this wonderful volume. By concentrating on this one small aspect of Churchill's many interests, the magnificence of the man is brought into sharp relief. Others, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ernest Bevan suffer in comparison to Churchill in this particular area. All in all, this is a wonderful book, typical of Gilbert's skill as a researcher, historian and writer. It is also necessary reading for anyone who wishes to be more fully informed about the seemingly intractable problems we face in the area today. Jerry

Where would Israel have been without Churchill?

This is an exciting account of Churchill's relationship to the Jewish people from the earliest phase of his political career. He developed a strong bond with the developing state of Israel, and it seems unlikely, without his brilliant supportive speeches in parliament for several decades that we would have a state of Israel today. Gilbert does a superb job of bringing us up to date on Churchill's contributions, from the time of the Balfour declaration to Israel Statehood in 1948.

Outstanding work of history

This smart, well researched and readable book makes an often controversial subject easy to understand and easier still to be sympathetic towards. Famed author and historian, Sir Martin Gilbert offers us through direct sources, a simple yet profound road map in which we see Mr. Churchill navigate his way through his many relationships with Jews, and those opponents in his own political party, as well as the minefield which is Middle East politics. I for one, though a student of the Middle East never knew just how close Mr. Churchill was to the Jewish people, Zionism, and his continued support through out the decades for a Jewish state in the region. "Some people like Jews and some do not, but no thoughtful `person' can doubt the fact that they are beyond all question the most formidable and most remarkable race which has ever appeared in the world" Winston Churchill I strongly recommend this book for your reading pleasure, education, and enlightenment. It is an outstanding historical document.

Learn why Churchill was a Zionist and why Zionism is a Great Movement

I knew a fair amount about Winston Churchill and recognized his greatness but I did not know that he was a strong Zionist. Churchill's words are clear, his insight and knowledge rare among politicians. He recognized the evil of Nazism and Communism and recognized the contributions of the Jews and moral teachings of Judiasm. He saw the problems with Islam and the tribalness of Arabs. He knew the Jews needed to be restored to their historical homeland, which had been left a desert during the centuries of Ottoman rule. Churchill saw that Jews have as much right to a place in the Middle East as the Arabs, Turks and Persians. He knew that Israel would be an ally of the US and Britain and a beacon of modernity to the Arabs, which is part of the reason it has been attacked. Martin Gilbert's lastest book is another significant work on Churchill and world history. We need more Churchills and Gilberts!

A great leader and friend-

Martin Gilbert the official biographer of Winston Churchill is also well-versed in modern Jewish history. In this work he traces the lifelong attitude and relationship of Churchill to the Jewish people. He points out that Churchill's father was particularly friendly with Jews, and did something not done in his day, invited Jews to their home. As a young person Churchill thus had the acquaintance of Jewish friends of his father who he respected. Gilbert shows that Churchill throughout his life maintained this sympathetic attitude towards the Jews. He was a strong and enthusiastic supporter of the Zionist enterprise, and in 1917 a supporter of the Balfour Declaration. In a review in the Sun Nancy Schleifer quotes Churchill ardently supporting the Jewish cause in the Holy Land, "The Jews have developed the country, grown orchards and grain fields out of the desert, built schools and great buildings, constructed irrigation projects and water power houses and have made Palestine a much better place to live then it was before they came a few years ago. To Jewish enterprise, the Arab owes nearly everything he has. Fanaticism and a sort of envy have driven the Arabs to violence." He during the first War defended Jewish friends who were falsely accused of disloyalty to Britain. Churchill believed that Biblical morality and teaching was the fundamental foundation- stone in the building of the ethics of humanity. Churchill believed that Jews being true to their religion and people could also be true and loyal to the various countries in which he lived. Nonetheless he was wary of Jewish participation in world- communism and warned against this. He too at a time when it was critical for Jews did not allow the free immigration to then 'Palestine' because of British geopolitical considerations in regard to the Arabs. In 1940 he called for the deporation of potentially enemy aliens including many Jews. Churchill's basic sympathy to the Jews did not lead him to force major action to save Jews during the Holocaust though he did advocate bombing the rail- lines to Auschwitz. Churchill was a great leader probably the greatest the twentieth century knew. It is ironic and terrible that he who fundamentally sympathized with the Jews could not or did not prevent the greatest destruction they had ever known at the very time he was conducting the battle against the Jews worst enemy- a battle which would save mankind for freedom.