Lawrence of Arabia, Zionism and Palestine - The World War I ...

84 ZIONISM AND PALESTINE
to suffer (if that is the word) from a failure to appreciate
the point of view of the other man (Arab or British)
only equalled by that of their latest persecutors, the
German nation. Few writers have written more beautifully
or sympathetically about the Jewish people than
the brothers Jacques and Jérôme Tharaud. L'Ombre
de la Croix is a pathetic revelation which must have
immensely increased the volume and quality of interest
in Israel. Yet because (apparently) of their description
of Bêla Kun in Quand Israel est Roi, the Editor of the
newspaper that had commissioned Quand Israel n'est
plus Roi was given the brusque alternative of suppressing
the later chapters or of losing his Jewish advertisements.
The British officer, work as he might, felt himself
surrounded, almost opposed, by an atmosphere always
critical, frequently hostile, sometimes bitterly vindictive
and even menacing. After the Easter riots of 1920
and the November riots of 1921 (before the mutual
spheres of responsibility between Governorate and
Police 3 had been properly defined), I had to endure
such a tempest of vituperation in the Palestine and World
Hebrew Press that I am still unable to understand how
sympathetic to my efforts to place the Jews in every way upon
an equality with the others."
Our intentions were better appreciated by Jews with a knowledge
of the Near East. The Special Committee of Egyptian Jews,
Jack Mosseri, P. Pascal, Dr. Waitz, A. Alexander, for Relief of
Jews in Palestine, wrote to me on their return to Cairo: "to convey
to you its deepest thanks and gratitude for the reception accorded
to its delegates in Jerusalem, for the interest you showed in this
work, and for the arrangements made for them. We are deeply
sensible of the assistance you have given us, and we express the
appreciation not merely of ourselves and our afflicted brethren
in Jerusalem but of all Jewry. We should be happy to receive
from you any suggestions as to the method and progress of our
work."
One such word to any of us from official Zionism would have
shown, at the least, a recognition of our difficulties.
' During the Easter period of 1920 the Jerusalem Police Force
was, as stated in Ch. xiv of Orientations, under the command of
a junior Lieutenant.