Page 19 - Balfour100-E

THE ✡ Preparations Chaim Weizmann 19
THE
INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
CHRISTIAN Another crucial partnership was formed between Chaim Weizmann,
CHRISTIAN
EMBASSY
EMBASSY a Jewish chemist from Belarus, and Arthur Balfour, a politician
conducting an election campaign in Manchester, which he lost.

Returned to Parliament later, Balfour became the main architect

of the Declaration that carries his name, while Weizmann rose from chemist
Bringing Encouragement to Israel to become modern Israel’s first President. Frank Adam explains

Teaching the Church about Israel Getting the chemistry right

Standing against Racism & Prejudice Jewish daily prayers praise the Lord and Conference and created the World Zi- chemist a career. Weizmann’s new chief

the Patriarchs and pray for the return of onist Organisation, Weizmann’s friends was Professor William Perkin, who
the Jewish people to a resurrected king- were the ‘Democratic’ faction under the took him on as a ‘demonstrator’ and
dom in Zion. For centuries this was left slogan, “Another dunam [¼ acre] and arranged for him to conduct research
to the toast over the fourth glass of wine another goat.” under one Charles Dreyfus. There
at the end of the Passover Service, “Next pressed by Herzl’s high diplomacy Weizmann synthesised camphene and
The Democrats were not so im-
YOUR EMBASSY industrial and political developments petitioning the Kaiser and the Sultan, good enough to become a lecturer,
year in Jerusalem” until 19th century
celluloid.
By January 1905 his English was
but held that the more Jews there
brewed a scheme to bring forward the
which doubled his pay. In the same
were living in the Holy Land the bet-
restoration of a State for Jews, or at least
a Jewish majority in the Holy Land.
year Arthur Balfour, MP for East Man-
Chaim Weizmann’s part in realis-
chester, sought re-election as Prime
IN JERUSALEM ing this rested on his being the Zionist ‘When America was Minister.
Dreyfus took Weizmann with him
leader on the winning side in 1918, on
the first power to
to see Balfour, who was pressing the
his having met Balfour in the 1905 elec-
Jewish community to back his scheme
tion campaign, and on his contribution
recognise the State
to the British war effort through his
to establish a Homeland for them in
acetone-brewing process that cleared
Balfour became convinced of Zion-
the bottleneck in making cordite for of Israel, President Uganda. The opposite happened, and
cartridges. ism in the Holy Land. The interview
Weizmann was born in Motol near Truman remarked stretched from 15 to 45 minutes and
Pinsk in Western Russia and was a features in Weizmann’s memoirs and
religious child. As an adolescent he col- as he signed the the biography of Arthur Balfour where
1
lected Zionist charity boxes and argued this conversation is recorded:
Zionism with his brother Michael, a papers, “Perhaps Weizmann: “What if I offered you
Bundist, who believed that ‘votes for Paris instead of London?”
all’ and socialism would solve Russia’s the old doctor will Balfour (nonplussed): “But we al-
sectarian problems including anti-Sem- ready have London.”
itism, which was then official policy. believe me now!”’ Weizmann: “We had Jerusalem
This discrimination is what caused when London was still a marsh!”
Weizmann and others to study abroad A lot of Weizmann’s spare time
or emigrate. He graduated in Berlin and ter. Ironically Weizmann embraced went into Zionist campaigning in Yid-
taught in Geneva but never lost the gift both settlement and diplomacy, but is dish. In 1908 someone suggested he
For more information contact the UK Branch of conversation and repartee that came remembered for his high politics and visit Zion instead of just talking about
fundraising, especially in the USA dur-
it. He did and, judging by the photo-
from being one of a dozen children. In
WN1
Inter
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (UK) - PO Box 717, WIGAN, WN1 9PP Geneva, he met his future wife, Vera ing the Mandate years. graphs of the time, it must have been a
Embassy
national
Christian
9PP
-
(UK)
PO
Box
717,
Jerusalem
WIGAN,
Chatzman, a medical student at the
shock: bare hills, few trees and roads,
In 1904 Weizmann needed a job and
T el. 01744 894374 or 07503624135 time, whom he married in 1906. came to Manchester, where dyes were and undeveloped towns.
Tel. 01744 894374 or 07503624135
On his return Weizmann put to-
very important in the city at the centre
Weizmann was always an active
info@icejuk.org or http://uk.icej.org Zionist. When Herzl called the Basel of the cotton trade, thus offering a gether a scheme using the latest chemi-
info@icejuk.org or http://uk.icej.org