April 28, 1918
Almost six months after British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour’s letter of support for a Jewish national home in Palestine, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) issues a bland response. For the next 30 years, the AJC remains lukewarm or neutral in its support of Zionism.
At the conclusion of World War I, most Jews in America are either vaguely supportive of or opposed to Zionism. Few are devoted supporters. AJC’s weak response to the Balfour Declaration reflects the reality that most American Jews do not want to move to Palestine. Instead, recently arrived Jewish immigrants from Europe see America as their new Zion.
AJC’s stated purpose is “to obtain for the Jews in every part of the world civil and religious rights, to protect them against unfavorable discrimination, and to secure for them equality of economic, social, and educational opportunity.” Although its support of the Balfour Declaration is tepid, the AJC recognizes that a Jewish homeland could provide safety for Jews suffering oppression in other lands.
AJC declares that those who want to settle in Palestine are welcome to do so. The committee envisages Palestine as a center “for the stimulation of our faith, for the pursuit and development of literature and science,” and for other cultural activities. It does not envisage independent Jewish sovereignty. It also reminds AJC members of the strong reservations in the Balfour Declaration, which supports the civil and religious rights of Arabs in Palestine, and of the political status enjoyed by Jews in the United States and other countries.
