THE JEWS AND THE HOLY LAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5010, 14 April 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE JEWS AND THE HOLY LAND.

{Otago Daily Times correspondent.) Edinburgh, January IStb. In a recent letter I mentioned some facts to show that the re-settlement of Palestine by the Jews is progressing at the present time in a remarkable manner, and I promised on another occasion to send some further particulars on the same subject. This promise I now proceed to redeem, merely adding, by way of preface, that I shall not in this article deal with the religious aspects of the question. These I leave untouched, not because I undervalue their importance, but because you would probably regard them as not altogether suited to your columns. I begin by reiterating the statement made by me in my former letter, viz., that it is a fact entirely beyond dispute that the Jews are steadily returning and settling in the land of their fathers. There is a mass of testimony to establish this point, from that of the venerable Sir Moses Montefiore, downwards. I cite a couple of the most recent witnesses. Mr. William Knighton, writing in The Ttmcs of December 26, 1876, says “ During the early part of this year I was in the Holy Land. Everywhere, from Dan to Beersheba, I saw evidence of the renewed energy aud activity of the Jewish race. As a people the Jews are flocking back to the land of their forefathers in great numbers from all the countries of Europe. In Jerusalem and its neighborhood particularly, every plot of ground for sale is eagerly bought up by them.” The second witness is the Rev. James Neil, 8.A., formerly incumbent of Christ Church, Jerusalem. Mr. Neil has just published an interesting book devoted to the consideration of this subject, and as it contains the most recent and complete, as well as most reliable information, I shall refer largely to it. On pages 8 aud 9 he says :—“ The last four or five years have wit- . eased a return of the Jews to Palestine from all parts, but more especially from Russia, which has been altogether unprecedented. The Hebrew population of Jerusalem is now probably double what it was some ten years ago Great accessions still continue daily ; aud whereas ten years ago the Jews were confined to their own quarter in Jerusalem, the poorest and worst, they now inhabit all parts of the city, and are always ready to rent any house that is to be let. Notwithstanding thifi happy change, want of accommodation still being felt, building societies have been formed, and many of their simple tenements are now rising outside tire city, to the north-west Moreover, the Jews in Palestine are certainly acquiring possession of landed property in the villages and country districts.” Mr. Neil explains that it is very difficult to get accurate statistics of the number of the Jews in Pale-tine, partly because they have a superstitious dread of a census, and partly because they would have to pay more by way of poll-tax to the Turks if their numbers were fully known. Prom numerous enquiries made on the spot, however, he estimates the number of Jews in Palestine proper at about 30,000, of whom half reside in Jerusalem. The Jews of Sidon, Beyrout, and Damascus he reckons at 7000 or 8000 more. Under the circumstances, the country being ruined, depopulated, and under the brutal and ignorant government of Mahomcdan Arabs—--30,000 is a large number, and considerably exceeds the numbers of any other civilised nation in the Holy Land. The causes of this return of the Jews to Palestine, as stated by Mr. Neil and other authorities, are two, viz. :—New laud laws affecting Palestine, and new laws of military service in Russia. To these Mr. Neil adds a third, whose influence can be less definitely determined, viz., new civilization throughout the East. Since June, 1807, it has been possible for others than Turkish subjects to hold land under a legal title, and the Jews have not been slow to avail themselves of the privilege, somo of them having bought whole villages, with thousands of acres land around them. One man has an interest in the lands of as many as fifteen different villages. In the second place, since 1874 Russia has adopted the German system of military service, by which every male in the empire is obliged to serve in turn in the army. This is especially distasteful to the Jews, who are not a martial people, added to which, Russia being their chief persecutor, they arc less willing to fight in the ranks of her armies than in those of the armies of any other Power. The third cause has manifested itself princi-

pally in the lessening of ill-treatment of the Jews by their Moslem masters, owing to the spread of European civilisation, and the establishment of European consulates in Palestine and Syria. In connection with the settlement cf Palestine, I must not omit to make mention of the survey of the country, which is now drawing near completion. It has been conducted by English and American engineer officers, supported by funds raised by the Palestine Exploration Committee. The survey is just about to be resumed, after a year during which work in the field has been suspended, though the time has been used in reducing to a practical form the observations previously taken. With ordinary weather, and if not again attacked, as last year, by the ignorant Arabs, the survey party hope to complete their out-door labours in two years at the farthest. They also propose to clear out and restore Jacob’s well. When the survey is completed, it will be of the greatest value in the settlement of the country, whether by Jews or Gentiles, and this has evidently but just begun. This leads me to say that Gentiles as well as Jews are settling in Palestine in considerable numbers, Among others, about 1000 Germans, from Wurtemberg, have settled at Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Haiffo, where they are engaged in trade and agriculture. They call themselves “ The Society of the Temple,” but by others are popularly known as “ Hofmannites,” their leader being Dr. Hofmann. They hold peculiar religious views, though these are quite free from all extravagance, and they seem to be a very quiet, respectable set of people. Among other things, they believe that a great temple will soon be built by Christians of all nations at Jerusalem, and they accordingly teach all their children some handicraft, in order that they may be ready, when the time comes, to take their part in the erection of the building. The Russians, too, have a firm footing in Palestine. As was well remarked the other day by a writer in ' one of the' London papers, the Russians have, under the guise of a convent, erected a fortress at Jerusalem, occupying a commanding position. Great numbers of Russian pilgrims annually visit the country, and not a few Russian officers have made themselves well acquainted with it, with a view to military contingencies. Here, too, I must remind your readers of what I formerly wrote regarding the project of the construction of a Papal railway to connect Jaffa and Jerusalem. I say advisedly a “ Papal railway,” because the undertaking has received the Pope’s blessing (I quote from a letter of the Roman correspondent of The Times) “chiefly for the reason that Catholics only are to be called upon to aid in an undertaking of so much interest to them. The promoter of the scheme is an Italian engineer, named Pierotti, and its professed object is to aid and increase the number of Latin convents, &c., in the Holv Land. In connection with this scheme, however, it is interesting to note a work entitled “ La Papante a Jerusalem,” by the Abbd Michon, in which the writer advocates the removal of the Pope to Jerusalem as a “ neutral place, free from all the political complications of the West.” The Abbd adds that this proposal was actually made to the Papal Government in 1555, during the Crimean war. He says : —“ Entire liberty of action was guaranteed to the Sovereign Pontiff at Jerusalem, and the means of sustaining his high dignity in an honorable manner was promised him. A railroad from Jerusalem to Jaffa would have rendered the communication of the Papacy with Europe as rapid as from Rome itself.” Possibly this scheme may yet be carried out, if the railway is constructed as proposed. I now quote, from the Scotsman of the 6th January, the following surprising paragraph, which appeared in its special London, correspondence ;—“ 1 learn on good authority that Palestine is virtually in the market, and may at any moment become the property of the highest bidder. lam informed that an Armenian has arrived in London with power from the Turkish Government to negotiate the sale of-the Holy Land. This gentleman hopes that among the wealthy Hebrew capitalists of this city he may find a purchaser. Although this announcement reads like a passage from one of the most sensational of Dr. Cumming's sermons, persons on whose veracity confidence may be placed allege that it is strictly true.” The information emanating from this source is usually exceedingly reliable, so that the above paragraph should not bo simply laughed at as a newspaper “ yarn.” Besides, the possibility of the Turks in their extremity resorting to some such means as this of raising money has been adverted to in general quarters lately. Mr. Knighton, for instance, in the letter already quoted above, suggests this very thing, and asks why a republican or sacerdotal Government might not be established in Palestine, paying a tribute to Turkey like Servia or Roumania, but in all other respects independent. Certainly the Turks would lose nothing, save perhaps prestige, by such a course of action, for Palestine adds nothing to their revenue in its present state of misgoverument, and the conscripts who were taken from it to fight against the Montenegrins in the recent campaign proved worthless cowards. When the Montenegrins charged them, they covered their faces with their arms and allowed themselves to be cut down like sheep ! So wrote the special correspondent of The Tunes. At present it may —and does—seem premature to talk, like Mr. Knighton, of a “republican or sacerdotal government;” . but nowadays such’ unexpected things happen, and events march with such astonishing rapidity, that one dare not pooh-pooh the idea as visionary. What Palestine most pressiugly needs is a just and stable government, able to put down the brigandage which is rampant throughout the land. This want will never be supplied as long as the Turks rule the country, so that until they are succeeded by some government worthy of the name the regeneration of Palestine must be a comparatively slow and fitful process. That Russia, too, would object to any other Power than Turkey, or even the Jews themselves, governing Palestine, is certain. The superstitions of the great ignorant mass of the Russian people are too much concerned in such a matter to render it doubtful that they would be fanned to fever heat by the adoption of any such policy as that indicated. At present the Russians are the bitterest enemies of the Jews, not only in Russia itself, but in Palestine, where the Turkish soldiers alone prevent the Russian pilgrims from perpetrating acts of violence on the Jews in Jerusalem and other places, whither the pilgrims resort. In closing this article, whose purpose has been mainly to draw attention to the subject with which’ it deals, I must also briefly note the fact that everywhere in Europe the Jews are bestirring themselves to increase their political influence. This is especially the case in Austria, Italy, Turkey, and Germany, while in England, too, they are displaying an energy in regard to matters political which has never before been witnessed in this country. Not a week passes, in fact, without the activity of the Jews in endeavoring to secure an amelioration of the condition of their fellow-Hebrews in Europe or the East being brought before the notice of a regular reader of the newspapers. Your readers will therefore do well to keep their eyes alike on Palestine and on the doiugsof the Jews, Everything tends to point to both the country and the people playing a prominent part in the great drama whoso commencement only has been seen during the past year in Turkey. _________________