340.1115A/1700
The Consul General at Jerusalem (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 23.]
Subject: War emergency problems affecting American citizens in Palestine.
Sir: In my despatch No. 1331 of July 20, 1940, there was submitted a detailed review of the above subject as presenting itself at the time. In the present despatch I shall have the honor to bring that review up to date. As to the number of American citizens involved, the situation was, briefly, as follows:
During the period from May 18 (date of the receipt of the Department’s advice to American citizens to return to the United States) to July 15, some 250 resident citizens had left Palestine.
Approximately 7,000 citizens (then estimated at roughly 6,500 Jews, 400 Arabs and 100 “others”) were believed to remain in the country.
Of these estimated 7,000, only some 250 were known to wish to leave and to possess more or less sufficient funds for the purpose.
Many more, it was believed, would wish to leave were the Middle East to become the scene of major hostilities and the country to be threatened by Axis invasion.
During the intervening four months, only some 150 citizens have left the country. This figure has been confirmed by enquiry made of local travel agencies. Fifty-odd departed in August on the Egyptian S. S. El Nil via the Red Sea and the Cape of Good Hope, the others via Iraq and India.
These departures included: all of the remaining American employees (23 in number) of the M. W. Kellogg Company, which had [Page 885] concluded its construction work of the new oil refinery at Haifa; one single missionary and one missionary family departing on furlough; and, the balance, 120-odd residents (for the most part Jews). In addition seven missionaries from Egypt who had spent the summer here returned to that country.
On the basis of these figures, there should remain in the country something over 6,000 American Jews, the originally estimated 400 naturalized citizens of local Arab origin and rather less than 100 “others”. Further enquiries made during these intervening four months confirm the substantial accuracy of the latter two figures but suggest the desirability of reducing that of the number of American Jews.
As to “others” the following table is believed to be substantially correct as of the present date:
| Institution | Adults | Dependents | |
| Assembly of God | 7 | 7 | |
| American Friends Mission | 10 | 2 | |
| Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land | 12 | – | |
| Southern Baptist Convention | 4 | 7 | |
| Christian and Missionary Alliance | 5 | 3 | |
| American Carmelite Fathers | 5 | – | |
| Other “missionaries” (YMCA, American Colony Aid Association, etc.) | 10 | 3 | |
| Total “missionaries” | 53 | 23 | [22] |
| Consulate General (including two F. S. O. families evacuated from Cairo) | 10 | 10 | |
| Others registered at the Consulate | 2 | – | |
| Total “others” | 65 | 33 | [32] |
As to the estimated number of resident American Jews, it is to be noted that the survey—reported in my last despatch as having been undertaken by the American-Jewish Association of Palestine—has led the officials of that association to put the total at an outside figure of approximately 5,000. They suggest that the estimate prepared by the Consulate General erred in not allowing for a higher percentage of departures during recent years.
They argue, and I believe with considerable justification, that American Jews have adjusted themselves less readily than Europeans to conditions in Palestine and, therefore, especially during the “disturbances” of 1936–39, returned in considerably larger numbers than the Consulate’s estimate showed for permanent residence in the United States. They suggest that this divergence was due in many instances to the fact that Jews so leaving Palestine were ashamed to admit that they were definitely “deserting the ship” and hence applied to the Consulate and to the Palestine Migration Department for passports or other services for seasonal travel only.
[Page 886]Be this as it may—and the Consulate’s citizenship section is now engaged in a further study of the matter—the survey in question led the officers of the American-Jewish Association to the interesting conclusions set forth in my telegram No. 159 of November 13, 2 p.m.59 A confirmation copy is transmitted herewith, together with a copy of the Association’s letter of November 1259 which enclosed a draft text (which I did not modify) of the first and second numbered paragraphs of my telegram.
The most interesting point made in the Association’s conclusions was that, of the 2,500 American Jews for whom it claimed to speak, only some 500 “wish to return to the United States at the present juncture or at an early date”, the others “preferring to remain unless the country is threatened by Axis invasion.”
Of these 500, the Association’s survey showed, “barely 100 are financially able to pay present fares” and the remainder require assistance in the form either of cheaper fares or of full repatriation relief. The Association’s officers believed that a somewhat similar situation would be found to exist among the other half of the Jewish American residents not directly represented by them.
If this be the case—and the Consulate’s observations suggest its substantial accuracy—there are today in Palestine only some 800 American citizens (all Jews) who desire to return to the United States at this time and who do not possess sufficient funds for the purpose. And, of such 800, approximately one-half would be able to pay between $200 and $400 for steerage or tourist-class fares.
The numbers (of all categories) of those wishing to depart would, of course, as my telegram and earlier despatch suggested, multiply rapidly were the Eastern Mediterranean to become the scene of major hostilities and Palestine be threatened by Axis invasion.
In that latter event, the problem of the evacuation of American citizens from this country would indeed be one of serious magnitude and difficulty; and the Association’s officers urge that the Department accord it full and sympathetic consideration. They present their case substantially as follows:
They came to and settled in this country primarily because inspired by the Zionist ideal. As Jews, they wished to make their contribution towards building the Jewish National Home. As Americans they wished that contribution—in the field of spiritual as well as material progress—to be representative of the best traditions of their former, American homeland.
They admit thus frankly to a dual loyalty; and they feel that that which they owe to Palestine precludes their deserting the Zionist ship now seriously endangered by but not as yet actually caught in [Page 887] the maelstrom of world war. They recognize, however, that in this stand they may be risking life itself, that as Jews (even though American citizens) they would receive short shrift at the hands of a Nazi invasion.
In the circumstances—which they feel may rightly be deemed to set them apart as unique among all Americans now resident abroad in war-threatened areas—they hold to the belief that, in dire emergency, their government should and will come to their aid with all the power (financial and otherwise) at its command.
In my many conversations with these and other leaders of the local Jewish-American community I have not encouraged them in this stand, and I have let no opportunity pass to impress on them—and through them on their community—the seriousness of the Department’s advice that Americans should leave this and other Near Eastern countries.
I cannot but feel, however, that, even in the face of their failure to heed that advice, their Government could not “in dire emergency” wash its hands of all responsibility for their welfare and remain loyal to the humanitarian principles for which it has always stood. The vision is grim of what their lot would be in a Nazi-occupied Holy Land.
My hope is that, should such a tragedy come to pass, funds for their repatriation or relief would be made available by public American charity. It is a hope with which Dr. Judah Magnes, my chief counsellor in these matters, wishes very particularly to associate himself. Millions of dollars have been and, we gather, still are being contributed, notably by American Jewry, for the rendering of similar assistance to European Jews.
It might be well were the Department to consider drawing, through appropriate charitable institutions, the attention of these same American donors to this potential need of American Jews in Palestine.
Respectfully yours,