Thank you so much to the hundreds of people who have subscribed to my newly revived substack, and especially to the 113 paid subscribers who induce me to actually post to this (not that my love can be bought for $5 a month, but you know).Ink Vault is a reader-supported publication.
I did find the Henryk Ehrlich quote interesting. He and Jabotinsky seem to have agreed on the risks posed by the local Arab population but have taken opposing views of the best solution (for Jews). In a sense, both tested their views: Jabotinsky founding the Irgun in Israel, Ehrlich joining the Jewish Anti-Fascist Council in the Soviet Union. I would argue that, while the jury is still out on Jabotinsky being right (though October 7 makes it more likely he will be) events definitely proved Ehrlich was wrong. Israel has managed a flawed but prosperous democracy that provides us a place of refuge and is committed to Jewish welfare worldwide. All the JAFC were purged as Stalin feared their international connections (classic “Jews as cosmopolitans” anti-Semitism) while the Jews living in Russia’s JAO fled to Israel. I don't think the usual defence—that Stalin perverted Marxist-Leninism—was true. I don't know if you've heard Bertrand Russell describing his meeting with Lenin but the latter sounded very much like Stalin in his opportunism and inhumanity. https://youtu.be/6TK9c-caEcw?si=VZtIe7Uw7vj2m5kc
I did find the Henryk Ehrlich quote interesting. He and Jabotinsky seem to have agreed on the risks posed by the local Arab population but have taken opposing views of the best solution (for Jews). In a sense, both tested their views: Jabotinsky founding the Irgun in Israel, Ehrlich joining the Jewish Anti-Fascist Council in the Soviet Union. I would argue that, while the jury is still out on Jabotinsky being right (though October 7 makes it more likely he will be) events definitely proved Ehrlich was wrong. Israel has managed a flawed but prosperous democracy that provides us a place of refuge and is committed to Jewish welfare worldwide. All the JAFC were purged as Stalin feared their international connections (classic “Jews as cosmopolitans” anti-Semitism) while the Jews living in Russia’s JAO fled to Israel. I don't think the usual defence—that Stalin perverted Marxist-Leninism—was true. I don't know if you've heard Bertrand Russell describing his meeting with Lenin but the latter sounded very much like Stalin in his opportunism and inhumanity. https://youtu.be/6TK9c-caEcw?si=VZtIe7Uw7vj2m5kc