ZIONISM IN THE AGE OF THE DICTATORS

BRENNER : ZIONISM IN THE AGE OF THE DICTATORS
5
GERMAN ZIONISM OFFERS TO COLLABORATE WITH
NAZISM
Werner Senator, a leading German Zionist, once remarked that Zionism, for all
its world Jewish nationalism, always politically assimilates to the countries within
which it operates. No better proof of his remark exists than the political adaptation
of the ZVfD to the theories and policies of the new Nazi regime. Believing that the
ideological similarities between the two movements –their contempt for liberalism,
their common volkish racism and, of course, their mutual conviction that Germany
could never be the homeland of its Jews–could induce the Nazis to support them,
the ZVfD solicited the patronage of Adolf Hitler, not once but repeatedly, after l933.
The goal of the ZVfD became an 'orderly retreat', that is, Nazi backing for
emigration of at least the younger generation of Jews to Palestine, and they
immediately sought contact with elements in the Nazi apparatus whom they
thought would be interested in such an arrangement on the basis of a volkish
appreciation of Zionism. Kurt Tuchler, a member of the ZVfD Executive, persuaded
Baron Leopold Itz Edler von Mildenstein of the SS to write a pro-Zionist piece for the
Nazi press. The Baron agreed on the condition that he visited Palestine first, and
two months after Hitler came to power the two men and their wives went to
Palestine; von Mildenstein stayed there for six months before he returned to write
his articles. 86
Contact with a central figure in the new government came in March 1933,
when Hermann Goering summoned the leaders of the major Jewish organisations. In
early March, Julius Streicher, the editor of Der Steurmer, had declared that, as of 1
April, all Jewish stores and professionals would be boycotted; however, this
campaign ran into an immediate snag. Hitler's capitalist backers were extremely
worried by the announcement by rabbi Wise of a planned counter-demonstration to
be held in New York on 27 March, if the Nazis went ahead with their boycott. Jews
were prominent throughout the retail trade both in American and Europe and,
fearing retaliation against their own companies, Hitler's wealthy patrons urged him
to call off the action. But the Nazis could hardly do that without losing face, and
86 Jacob Boas, 'A Nazi Travels to Palestine', History Today (London, January 1980), p. 33.
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