Vienna: 26 February 1930
Dear Sir,
I cannot do as you wish. I am unable to overcome my aversion
to burdening the public with my name, and even the present
critical time does not seem to me to warrant it. Whoever
wants to influence the masses must give them something
rousing and inflammatory and my sober judgement of Zionism
does not permit this. I certainly sympathise with its goals, am
proud of our University in Jerusalem and am delighted with
our settlement's prosperity. But, on the other hand, I do not
think that Palestine could ever become a Jewish state, nor that
the Christian and Islamic worlds would ever be prepared to
have their holy places under Jewish care. It would have seemed
more sensible to me to establish a Jewish homeland on a less
historically-burdened land. But I know that such a rational
viewpoint would never have gained the enthusiasm of the masses
and the financial support of the wealthy. I concede with sorrow
that the baseless fanaticism of our people is in part to be blamed
for the awakening of Arab distrust. I can raise no sympathy at all
for the misdirected piety which transforms a piece of a Herodian
wall into a national relic, thereby offending the feelings of the
natives. Now judge for yourself whether I, with such a critical
point of view, am the right person to come forward as the solace
of a people deluded by unjustified hope.
Your obediant servant,
Freud
………………
http://www.freud.org.uk/arab-israeli.html
Excellent work. Congratulations!!!
ReplyDelete