The Zionist Masquerade The Birth of the Anglo-Zionist Alliance, 1914–1918 James Renton 9780230_547186_01_prexii.pdf 12/9/07 9:11 AM Page i The Zionist Masquerade 8 1 9- 0 1- 1 0 2 ct - e n n o C e v a gr al P s - w e dr n A St of y sit er v ni U o d t e s n e c m - li o c ct. e n n o c e v a gr al p w. w w m o al fr eri at m ht g yri p o C 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 8 1 9- 0 This page intentionally left blank 11- 0 2 ct - e n n o C e v a gr al P s - w e dr n A St of y sit er v ni U o d t e s n e c m - li o c ct. e n n o c e v a gr al p w. w w m o al fr eri at m ht g yri p o C 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 9780230_547186_01_prexii.pdf 12/9/07 9:11 AM Page iii The Zionist Masquerade The Birth of the Anglo-Zionist Alliance, 1914–1918 8 1 James Renton 09- 1- 1 0 2 ct - e n n o C e v a gr al P s - w e dr n A St of y sit er v ni U o d t e s n e c m - li o c ct. e n n o c e v a gr al p w. w w m o al fr eri at m ht g yri p o C 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 9780230_547186_01_prexii.pdf 12/9/07 9:11 AM Page iv © James Renton 2007 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. 18 9- Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication 1-0 may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. 01 2 The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author ct - e of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and n n Patents Act 1988. Co e v First published 2007 by a gr PALGRAVE MACMILLAN al P Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and s - 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 w e Companies and representatives throughout the world dr n A PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave St Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. of Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom sity and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European er v Union and other countries. ni U ISBN 13: 978–0–230–54718–6 hardback d to ISBN 10: 0–230–54718–4 hardback e s n This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully ce managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing m - li processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the o c country of origin. ct. e n A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. on c e Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data v a gr Renton, James, 1975– al p The Zionist masquerade : the birth of the Anglo-Zionist alliance w. w 1914–1918/ James Renton. w p. cm. m o Includes index. al fr ISBN 0–230–54718–4 (alk. paper) eri 1. Balfour Declaration. 2. Zionism–History–20th century. at m 3. Zionism–Great Britain–History–20th century. 4. Zionism–United ht SMtiadtdelse– EHaisstt.or6y.–2M0itdhd clee nEtausrty–.Fo5r.eiGgnre raetl aBtriiotnaisn––GFroeraeti gBnr irtealiant.ions– pyrig o 7. Palestine–History–1799–1917. 8. Palestine–History–1917–1948. C I. Title DS125.5.R46 2007 956.94'04–dc22 2007023313 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 9780230_547186_01_prexii.pdf 12/9/07 9:11 AM Page v For Monica 8 1 9- 0 1- 1 0 2 ct - e n n o C e v a gr al P s - w e dr n A St of y sit er v ni U o d t e s n e c m - li o c ct. e n n o c e v a gr al p w. w w m o al fr eri at m ht g yri p o C 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 8 1 9- 0 This page intentionally left blank 11- 0 2 ct - e n n o C e v a gr al P s - w e dr n A St of y sit er v ni U o d t e s n e c m - li o c ct. e n n o c e v a gr al p w. w w m o al fr eri at m ht g yri p o C 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 9780230_547186_01_prexii.pdf 12/9/07 9:11 AM Page vii Contents Illustrations ix 8 1 Acknowledgements x 9- 0 1- 1 Introduction 1 20 ct - Chapter 1 Perceptions of Jewry and Ethnicity in the Official ne n o Mind 11 C e v a Race, nationalism and identity 13 gr al ‘The Jew’ as an outsider 18 s - P Mythologies of the Jewish nation in British culture 19 w e dr n Chapter 2 Jews, Ethnicity and the Propaganda War in the USA 23 St A ‘Jewish power’ in the context of total war 24 y of British propaganda and ethnicity 26 ersit v British policies towards ethnic groups in the USA 29 ni U o Chapter 3 Turning Perceptions into Policy: The Role of d t e s Jewish Activists, 1914–1917 43 en c Sowing the seeds for the Balfour Declaration 44 m - li o Sir Mark Sykes and Moses Gaster 54 ct.c e n Chapter 4 The Making of the Balfour Declaration 58 on c e Establishing the motives for a pro-Zionist policy 58 av gr Securing the Balfour Declaration 64 al p w. w Chapter 5 The Anglo-Zionist Propaganda Machine 73 w m o The Jewish Section of the Department of Information 73 al fr The historicisation of the Balfour Declaration 81 eri at m Chapter 6 National Space and the Narrative of a New Epoch ht g in Palestine 90 yri p o The capture of Jerusalem 91 C Different visions of Palestine 97 Palestine as the site of Jewish national transformation 99 The Zionist landscape and the narrative of British liberation 104 vii 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 9780230_547186_01_prexii.pdf 12/9/07 9:11 AM Page viii viii Contents Chapter 7 Performing the Rebirth of the Jewish Nation 109 A visible symbol of the Anglo-Zionist entente 110 Exhibiting the American Zionist Medical Unit 111 Performing the myth of national liberation in Palestine 112 The Jewish Legion: ‘a political performing company’ 122 Chapter 8 Perception vs. Reality: American Jewish Identities 8 1 and the Impact of the Balfour Declaration 130 09- 1- 1 Zionism and American Jewry before the Balfour Declaration 131 20 Patriotism and Jewish identities in wartime America 134 ct - e n The impact of the Balfour Declaration 138 on C The response of immigrant Jewry 144 ve a gr Conclusion: The Consequences for Palestine 149 Pal s - w Notes 156 e dr n A Bibliography 206 St of Index 223 sity er v ni U o d t e s n e c m - li o c ct. e n n o c e v a gr al p w. w w m o al fr eri at m ht g yri p o C 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton 9780230_547186_01_prexii.pdf 12/9/07 9:11 AM Page ix Illustrations Figure 6.1 ‘General Allenby’s official entry into Jerusalem, 11th December 1917.’ 94 18 9- Figure 6.2 ‘General Allenby at the steps of the Citadel (entrance 1-0 1 to David’s Tower) listening to the reading of the 20 Proclamation of Occupation in seven languages.’ 95 ct - e n Figure 6.3 ‘General Allenby receiving the notables of the city and on C heads of religious communities in the Barrack Square.’ 95 ve a Figure 6.4 ‘Hebron. The wooded hill is said to have been the algr P ancient stronghold of David.’ 98 s - w Figure 6.5 ‘Changing the Mohammedan Guard outside the e dr Mosque of Omar [sic], Jerusalem.’ 98 An Figure 6.6 ‘Grape Pickers in the vineyard at Richon le Zion.’ 102 of St Figure 6.7 ‘Richon le Zion Wine Industry. The freshly extracted sity juice is pumped into the vats for preliminary ver ni fermentation.’ 102 U o Figure 7.1 ‘The tour of the Zionist Commission through the d t e s Jewish Colonies. Outside the school at Nes Zionah. en c 16thApril 1918.’ 113 m - li Figure 7.2 ‘Zionist Commission in Palestine. Banquet in the co Palm Alley under the wine cellars. Rishon-le-Zion. ect. n n 16th April 1918.’ 115 o c e Figure 7.3 Procession in Tel Aviv. 116 av gr Figure 7.4 ‘The Reception to the Commander-in-Chief, al p w. Sir E.H.H. Allenby, in Jerusalem, by the Jewish w w Community, 24th May 1918. Guard of Honour of the m o Members of the Makkabi Athletic Association al fr (Jewish Boy Scouts [sic]).’ 117 eri at m Figure 7.5 Chaim Weizmann and Emir Feisal, June 1918. 121 ht Figure 7.6 ‘Medal given to every recruit.’ 124 yrig p Figure 7.7 ‘Some of the 1,000 recruits for the 40th(Palestinian) o C Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, obtained in Jerusalem, Summer 1918.’ 127 ix 10.1057/9780230286139 - The Zionist Masquerade, James Renton