Re: Anglo-German competition for Zionist support in WWI

John,

In answer to your excellent question, I refer you to this passage by Albert S. Lindermann, "Esau's Tears: Modern Anti-Semitism and the Rise of the Jews."  Clearly, Lloyd George, British Prime Minister, was attracted to Zionism, for many reasons, including British colonial startegies as well as for religious reasons:

"Although Lloyd George had earlier denounced the power of the English Rothschilds, he was sympathetic to Zionism.  Chaim Weizmann [a leading Zionist intellectual and activist] later wrote that the new prime minister once confided to him an instictive sympathy for the Jews as a small nationality because of his own Welsh Background" (416).

For more interesting details on this check out these sources as well:

Walid Khalidi has an excellent collection of documents concerning Zionist-British-US ambitions in Arab Palestine: "From Haven to Conquest." Check out especially article #14: "Contacts Between German Zionist Leaders and the German Government During World War I."

Fromkin, "Peace to End All Peace," pp. 263-75.

And one of my favorites: Ragina Sharif, "Non-Jewish Zionism: Its Roots in Western History," (Zed Press: 1983).

Hope this helps,

Khaldoun Samman

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