Monday, September 04, 2017
Elder of Ziyon
It describes this to its Arabic-speaking audience:
Photo: "77 year old Historical document "
Entry Visa from the British Consulate on 28/8/1940. The text of the document:I love how Arabs and other Israel haters feel vindicated when they find out that British documents said "Palestine" for the area of British Mandate Palestine before the founding of the modern state of Israel. They somehow think that Zionists don't admit that there was a mandate for Palestine. Indeed, what they don't want to remember is that the Palestine of the British Mandate was the precursor to Israel, and has nothing in common with today's Palestinian Arab nationalism. The Arabs of Palestine were against the Mandate and its institutions - currency, postage stamps, offices, sports teams, culture. All of that was Jewish.
I want you to know that I am authorized to give you a visa to enter the land of Palestine.
Valid until October 5, 1940
This document is a demonstration of the recognition by the British colonial office at the time of historic Palestine and there was no such thing as Israel.
Although this document was fairly exceptional, it does prove something that Fatah would rather you not notice: At least one British official understood that a Jewish refugee in Lithuania belongs in the Land of Israel.
It is a tragedy that there weren't more such officials.
Here is more of the paperwork that Mr. Blumencwajg had to have to escape Europe.
During this year, several diplomats who were stationed in the city did the unthinkable and went even against the orders of their superiors: they issued life saving visas to hundreds and several thousand Jews and other refugees. Such actions even put their own life at risk, yet, they did so without thinking twice: Japanese consul Chiune Sugihara and Dutch representative Jan Zwartendijk.
Some though managed to obtain other means to flee occupied Lithuania as the holder of this set of documents here did: JOEL BLUMENCWAJG, a young man, obtained the rare “War Refugee Certificate” from the Lithuanian Ministry of Interior, the” Commissioner for War refugees”. The document was translated into French by the well-known Lithuanian dignitary Vladas Daumantas, then acting Kaunas County Court jury translator, who had a rich contribution to the founding of the country after World War One. The certificate was obtained prior to the occupation but put into use afterwards. Young Joel, who found refuge in the small town of Tauragė, transited through Moscow, Turkey & Syria to arrive safely into British Palestine on March 15th, 1941, after crossing the border checkpoint at Nakoura.
Not many where as lucky as he was. Following operation Barbarossa on June 1941, thousands upon thousands were shot in make shift ditches and graves throughout the Baltic States, what would later be the beginning of the end for European Jews: the mass execution of complete communities began following the invasion of the Soviet Union and would not stop until 1945.
