BOOKS | Hilaire Belloc | 1922
The Jews, a significant work by Hilaire Belloc, first published in 1922, offers a balanced examination of the historical and contemporary relationship between the Jewish people and the nations among whom they reside. Its fundamental purpose is to articulate truths concerning the Jewish presence in the world, replacing what it identifies as the falsehoods of the preceding generation. The work is framed as an attempt at justice, aiming to reduce enmity where it has become dangerous.
Central Thesis
The core thesis of The Jews asserts that the Jewish people constitute an alien body within the societies they inhabit, a condition that inevitably generates irritation and friction.
This situation presents an urgent problem requiring a definitive settlement.
The book advocates for a particular resolution: a policy wherein Jews openly recognise their wholly separate nationality, and, conversely, non-Jews equally recognise and respect this distinct nationality, treating it candidly as a province of society external to their own.
Such a comprehensive recognition is posited as the only stable solution, necessary to avert impending disaster. The implementation of this solution is argued to ideally originate from a new societal spirit and practice, rather than being imposed first through legislation.
Proposed Solutions and Historical Failures
The work categorises methods for dealing with an alien body into two main approaches: elimination and segregation.
#### Elimination
- Destruction:
This method, exemplified by pitiless massacres from Cyrenaica in the second century to the Ukraine, is condemned as both abominable in morals and futile in practice, invariably leaving a legacy of hatred and shame. It is considered a blind gesture of exasperation, not a final solution.
- Expulsion:
While theoretically defensible as a community's right to self-organisation, expulsion is deemed only slightly less odious than destruction in practice. It results in individual injustice, spoliation, and hardship, often accompanied by violence, and leaves behind rancour.
Historically, it has proven incomplete; a notable instance is England's expulsion of all Jews under Edward I for over three and a half centuries, only for them to be readmitted under Cromwell, leading to their subsequent attainment of greater strength in England than anywhere else.
- Absorption:
Considered the most gentle and natural method, absorption postulates that the alien body integrates into the host society, losing its distinct identity. However, historical evidence contradicts this, as absorption has not occurred despite ample time, wide dispersion, intermarriage, and periods of tolerance or even Jewish ascendancy.
The Liberal policy of the past three generations, which provided ideal conditions for absorption, paradoxically left the Jews unabsorbed and more differentiated, rendering this theory false. Furthermore, the assertion that there is no distinct Jewish national type is deemed a monstrous affirmation, disproven by observable physical and cultural characteristics.
#### Segregation/Recognition
The only practical and permanent solution, therefore, is posited as a mutual recognition of a separate Jewish nationality. This entails treating the Jewish people frankly and without fear as a distinct entity.
Evolution of the Jewish Problem
Historically, Western Europe largely denied the existence of a Jewish problem, often dismissing it as merely a religious difference or maintaining a fiction of Jewish identity being identical to that of their host nations for convenience.
This attitude has since collapsed due to the inherent tendency of truth to prevail over falsehood, the increasing number of Jews in Western countries, and a substantial rise in their power.
The problem's character assumed a sharp, exasperated reaction against this past pretence. Key events that heightened tensions included:
- The Dreyfus agitation in France.
- The South African War in England, where Jewish interests were perceived to be involved.
- The increasing power of Jews in public life and their leadership within the Socialist movement prior to World War I.
Bolshevism and its Impact
A crucial turning point identified is the [[Bolshevist]] revolution of 1917 in Russia. This event was a Jewish movement, though not a movement of the entire Jewish race. Its leadership was predominantly Jewish, with figures such as Braunstein (Trotsky) directing operations under the orders of Jews.
The movement's primary motives were the pursuit of Communism, a sincere hatred of national feeling (outside of Jewish nationalism), and an appetite for *revenge* against the old Russian State. The Jewish involvement in Bolshevism compelled previously silent elements of Western society to openly address the Jewish problem, marking it as the chief political issue of its time.
Causes of Friction
The friction between Jews and non-Jews is rooted in several intertwined factors:
- General Causes:
A fundamental clash exists between the Jewish national character and that of their host societies. Jewish qualities such as courage, generosity, and loyalty are noted as possessing a distinctly "Jewish kind" or "timbre," directed towards Jewish ends.
Other significant traits include their intense concentration on single matters, lucidity of thought, intensity of action, and a corporate capacity for obscuring or promoting Jewish success or failure. This subtle difference fosters a sense of an impassable gulf between the two peoples.
- Jewish Wealth and Monopoly:
While the Jewish people are largely poor, their activities are often against the grain of non-Jewish society. However, a notable source of friction is the perceived excessive wealth and power of a few Jews, who acquire it rapidly.
A significant and dangerous point is the development of Jewish monopolies in high finance, the stage, and trades such as fruit, tobacco, silver, lead, nickel, and quicksilver.
This monopolistic tendency is described as spreading like a disease, acting as a powerful irritant and potentially leading to an "explosion". During World War I, it became evident that these few wealthy Jews exercised complete control over materials vital for national survival, apparently indifferent to the war's outcome.
- Special Causes (Jewish Side):
- Reliance on Secrecy:
A deplored national habit that has become almost instinctual, involving secret societies, a guarded language, the use of false names (e.g., Stanley for Solomon, Curzon for Cohen, Sinclair for Slezinger, Montague for Moses, Benson for Benjamin), and concealed relationships.
While possibly originating from historical persecution, this practice feeds antagonism and prevents open understanding. It also leads to the unfair attribution of a "Jewish character" to anything disliked, broadening animosity.
- Expression of Superiority:
Jews, individually and as a nation, perceive themselves as superior to non-Jews. This deep-seated conviction, though rarely openly stated, shapes their interactions, leading to a "familiar handling of European things" and an indifference to national feelings or religious traditions of others.
This posture, while strengthening Jewish identity and resistance, has historically led to recurrent oppression. Simultaneously, non-Jews reciprocate this feeling, believing themselves superior to any Jew, regardless of wealth or virtue.
- Special Causes (Non-Jewish Side):
- Disingenuousness:
A pervasive lack of candour in dealings with Jews, where individuals express negative opinions behind their backs but feign friendliness to their faces.
This disingenuousness extends to historical narratives, suppressing or distorting the Jewish role in history, such as the massacres in Cyprus and Libyan cities under Hadrian or their economic position in the Roman Empire. This falsehood creates a false sense of security for Jews, leading to bitterness upon discovery of true sentiments.
- Unintelligence:
Manifested in patronising courtesies, unrealistic portrayals of Jews in fiction, and a perpetual astonishment at the international and migratory nature of the Jewish people, which should be accepted as a given.
- Lack of Charity/Refusal to Engage:
A general unwillingness to empathise with the Jewish perspective, to engage with Jewish societies, or to read Jewish literature, contributing to a persistent chasm.
- Fear:
A profound fear of the perceived "unknown but suspected world-wide power" of Jewish dominance, particularly through finance and media control. This fear inhibits open discussion and contributes to the problem's severity.
Zionism and its Implications
Zionism is primarily examined for its potential impact on the international position of the Jewish people. The ideal of a purely Jewish state, complete with its own defence forces, is presented.
However, the actual experiment in Palestine is a "protected State" reliant first on British soldiers (and now American resources & support), organisation, and sacrifice to manage hostile local populations, rather than standing independently.
This arrangement is deemed a folly, as it will inevitably highlight the dual allegiance of Jews worldwide and intensify their separate identity.
The establishment of a Jewish state transforms the suggestion of exile, providing a destination for Jews if expelled from other nations. This has strained relations with both Christian and Mohammedan populations, particularly due to the aspiration of Jewish control over the Holy Places. The choice of administrators for this new state, notably one involved in the Marconi Contract, is also critiqued.
Path Towards a Solution
The duty to find a stable solution rests largely upon the majority population, the host nation. It necessitates two allied lines of conduct:
1. Open Dialogue: To discuss the Jewish people openly, continuously, and with genuine interest, as one would any other foreign entity. This involves breaking the prevailing social convention that deems such direct discussion taboo or insulting.
2. Recognition and Respect: To acknowledge the Jewish nation as a distinct and separate entity, treating it with respect despite its alien nature.
Conversely, the Jewish people have a duty to alleviate friction by abandoning their habits of secrecy and moderating the open expression of their sense of superiority. They are also encouraged to foster and propose their own institutions, such as Jewish schools, newspapers, and societies, which visibly affirm their separate nationality.
The essay concludes that the solution is recognition and respect, predicated upon the candid admission of the Jewish nation's distinctness. It stresses that a new spirit and practice should precede any legal changes, as attempting to legislate such a settlement first would inevitably lead to oppression and failure.
The increasing acuteness of the problem and the rising tide of antagonism across the world, particularly following events in Eastern Europe and the British mandate in Palestine, underscore the urgency of a peaceful and reasoned settlement.