Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)

Zydzi a Polska, by Jozef Kruszynski. 1921

Jewish Disloyalty to Poland at Her Re-Founding (1918). How International Jewry Harmed Poland

JEWS AND POLAND, published in 1921, traces part of the path by which Jews came on a collision course with Polish national aspirations. It facilitates the undemonizing of Roman Dmowski, and enables the reader to understand why the Endeks were not positive towards Jews.

JEWS MOSTLY REMAINED ANTI-ASSIMILATIONIST BY CHOICE

The author mentions the appearance of nationalism in the 19th century-among existing nations, among nations that had lost their independence, and even among peoples that never were nations. Zionism, or Jewish nationalism, was no exception. Jewish separatism and particularism were emphasized as never before. In reaction, anti-Semitism also grew as never before. Instead of being prevented from assimilating as sometimes claimed, Jews, for the most part, refused to assimilate. (p. 9).

The pioneer Zionist Theodore Herzl called for not only a Jewish state in Palestine but, first and foremost, for Jews to develop a strong sense of their nationality and self-concept as Jews. He also called for Jews to learn how to influence governments to enact policies consistent with these goals. (p. 13). However, WWI shifted the focus of the Zionists from Palestine to local European matters.

AN IMPENDING WWI-ERA JUDEOPOLONIA

As the Central Powers launched the Great War and were initially victorious, with Germany occupying much of Polish territory, the Jews became very pro-German. In German-occupied Poland, the local Jews profited by the flow of goods from Poland to Germany. (p. 15). Jews believed that, after they won the war, the Germans, in return for earlier Jewish support, would grant them various privileges in German-ruled Poland. The Jews were pressing, for example, for Yiddish to be elevated to the same level as Polish. This, and similar demands, would create a Judeopolonia–that is, two nations on Polish soil. (p. 17). For more on Judeopolonia, see:

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2019/11/04/judeopolonia-wwi-bodenheimer/

Of course, Jews were generally circumspect in attempting to fulfill their goals. All of the demands for separate-nation status on Polish soil were disguised with phrases such as “cultural autonomy”, “minority rights”, etc., as they would be presented again under the so-called Minorities Treaty. (p. 18).

POLAND AND THE HARM DONE BY THE INTERNATIONAL JEW

Kruszynski considers influential Jews internationalists who could not care less about patriotism, who are generally untouched by the consequences of war, and who benefit no matter who wins or loses. This is especially the case with large bankers. If Germany won the Great War, influential German Jews would have prospered. However, since England and the USA won the war, the influential Anglo-American Jews prospered. (p. 15).

As Germany began to lose the war, influential Jews in England and America came to the forefront, and launched their anti-Polish agendas. During the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Dmowski was unsuccessful in opposing Jewish banker Jacob Schiff, who insisted that Germany be given concessions, at Polish expense, over Danzig (Gdansk), Upper Silesia, and East Prussia. In addition, Lloyd George was steered into a viciously anti-Polish course by influential Jews such as Sassoon, Rothschild, Isaacs, Montague, Samuels, Mond, etc. (pp. 21-22).

1918 POGROM HORROR PROPAGANDA

Certain Jews made fresh attacks on Poland by making, and showing, films that accused Poles of (mostly bogus) pogroms. (p. 23). (What else is new?)