History of Zionism, 1600-1918, Vol. 2 (of 2)Sokolow, Nahum
History
History of Zionism, 1600-1918, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Sokolow, Nahum
Jews -- Restoration; Zionism -- History
The Conference was attended by five hundred and fifty-two delegates
from six hundred and forty towns. There were delegates from Turkestan,
Bokhara, and the Crimea. In addition, there were present five hundred
visitors from provincial towns and over one thousand one hundred
visitors from Petrograd.
A unique historic document was placed before the Convention when the
Chairman read the full text of the Military Order of the Day, issued
and signed by General Alexeieff, Commander-in-Chief of the Western
Front, permitting the Jewish soldiers to elect from their number
delegates to the Convention, and furnishing passes and transportation
to the delegates to facilitate their presence at the gathering.
The spokesman of the soldier-delegates read the following resolution,
which had been adopted by his colleagues:――
“We――Jewish soldier-delegates from the Army――who participate
in this Convention, avow to the Convention, and to the Jewish
people:
“Hundreds and thousands of Jews are in battle in the Russian
Army. In a time of outlawry and terrible persecution, under
the burden of false accusations, the Jewish soldiers fulfilled
their full military duty. In the ocean of blood poured out by
the heroic Russian Army, there is no little of Jewish blood.
“Now, having become free citizens of Russia, and fully
privileged members of the Army, the Jewish soldiers will
continue their efforts in a new spirit of enthusiasm.
Believing that the strengthening of the revolution, and the
strengthening of the peoples in Russia can be accomplished
only through the union of all the peoples and by a strong
discipline in the free army, the Jewish soldiers declare
triumphantly that they are prepared to follow the call of the
revolutionary democracy to defend Russia against her enemies.
“We believe that the Russian democracy, which has assumed the
task of freeing all the peoples of the world, will understand
the strivings of our people, and will support Jewry in its
efforts to create a national centre for the Jewish people, on
its historic soil, Palestine.”
The Conference carried the following resolutions:――
“Considering first that the Jewish people, in view of its
disposition and dispersion all over the world, can recreate
for itself conditions for the normal development of its
national, cultural, and economic life, only through the
restoration of a national autonomous centre in its historic
home, Palestine,
“Secondly, that the Jewish nation has never severed its ties
with its ancient home, and has always longed for it, and that
its moral and historic right to Palestine is incontestable and
irremovable,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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