Jews May Yet Colonize

July 1911

Another attempt will be made to establish a colony of Jews near the Holy Land. In 1903 the late Dr. Herzel, after having failed to obtain any satisfactory concession from the sultan of Turkey in respect to Zionist effort in Palestine, approached the Egyptian government with the object of getting a grant of land for Jewish settlement in El Arisch district, between Egypt and the Holy Land, the Jewish Chronicle says. The territory between these two points includes the Pelusium plain, which at one time was extremely fertile and the original habitat of the Hittites.

A tentative offer was made to the Egyptian government of a tract of land situated within an isosceles triangle, one side extending from the east of the Suez canal to Akabah, the other going from west of Gaza to Akabah, the coast forming the base. It was rejected.

Now once again Jewish eyes have been turned to this district. The plan offered by the General Jewish Colonization Organization is far less ambitious than that which animated the Zionist leader. Instead of attempting to colonize the large territory which Herzel had in view attention has been concentrated upon Rapha, which is situated near to Gaza.


Scientific Religion

Anything that can be studied at all can be studied scientifically, and there is no reason for trying to take it up in any other way. The moral conduct of men and the ideals inspiring it — i.e., religion — should be taken up in this way.