Israel – In 1958, then-foreign minister Golda Meir raised the possibility of preventing handicapped and sick Polish Jews from immigrating to Israel, a recently discovered Foreign Ministry document has revealed.
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“A proposal was raised in the coordination committee to inform the Polish government that we want to institute selection in aliyah, because we cannot continue accepting sick and handicapped people. Please give your opinion as to whether this can be explained to the Poles without hurting immigration,” read the document, written by Meir to Israel’s ambassador to Poland, Katriel Katz.
The letter, marked “top secret” and written in April 1958, shortly after Meir became foreign minister, was uncovered by Prof. Szymon Rudnicki, a Polish historian at the University of Warsaw.
Rudnicki has been researching documents shedding light on Israeli-Polish relations between 1945 and 1967. The document had not been known to exist before this time, and scholars of the mass immigration from Poland to Israel that took place from 1956 to 1958 were unaware of Israel’s intent to impose a selection process on Jews leaving Poland – survivors of the Holocaust and its death camps.
The “coordination committee” Meir refers to was a joint panel consisting of representatives of the government and the Jewish Agency.
Rudnicki concedes that the content of the document surprised him as a scholar and a Jew. “This is a very cynical document,” he said. “It is known that Golda was a brutal politician who defended interests more than people.” Katz died more than 20 years ago, and no proof has been found that anything was done regarding the foreign minister’s query.
everyone should read Ben Hecht’s book, Perfidy.You will be shocked at what the
original Zionists did to prevent many survivors, (mostly Frum) from coming to Eretz
Yisroel.
That’s why I don’t call myself a Zionist even though I’m militantly pro-israel.
satmar rebbe was right
A continuation of “rak bedam tihiye lanu haaretz” and “if we want the nations to give us a state then we must also do our part in the war and our people must also die” and “the old and sick must die,they are like dust”
Plain shefichas damim
Yemach shema
Absolutly no surprise to me whatsoever!
amazaing that this was revealed the very same day 60 years after the Satmar Rebbe Reb Yoel was rescued.!!!
As we all have heard, but were always skeptical of, the Zionists held that One cow in Medinat Yisrael was worth more than 1,000 frum Yidden from Europe. Well apparently it is true and none other than Golda herself proves it. Shameful. Shameful. Shameful.
Satmar doesn’t discriminate when rescuing yemeni jews.
More is needed to explain her stance and what this letter is all about.
Shame on her
I dont believe one word.
this reinforces the fact that the secular and political zionists were no zionists. just look at the leaders like kastner and ben-gurion; and now golda meir
Its nothing new to us! Golda Meir was known for her cold heart anything to do with yiddishkeit. But to be so cold blooded even to non drum yidden, that’s a first
no surprise here, from the enlightenment movement in germany hundreds of years back, to theyeveseksia in russia which were resonsbile for the murder of thousands of jews, to the current and past liberal jews in here and in israel who are only interested in saying sorry as many times as they could by offering their bretheren as sacrifices. we jews have no enemies, we are our own enemies, these jews are worse and more brutal then any outside enemy we ever faced, a nazi is a nazi, we know who the enemy is, here they mask themselves in a jewish identity. they have no souls, they are the erev rav of our generation. anyone that thinks this is too harsh, why not ask around at how many peoples grandparents and grandparents went missing because of these people, and who was forced out of their homes by these jewish nazis. our troubles willl not end until we realise that the damage is ours…. that the world hates us is no chidush, what people dont realise is the above…..
She didn’t want to accept “any” handicapped jews regardless how religious.
Students of history know that during the war, the Yaldei Teheran, some 2,000 orthodox frum orphans that were saved by some courageous yidden, were practically all schmad by the sochnut zionists when they arrived in Israel t. It was always swept under the rug. No, its not nice to say such things about Israel. Just seeing the Golda Meir letter is sickening and a blemish on the State.
The same was done with the Yaldei Morrocco. Idealism and socialism (kibbutzim)meant more than humanity, as the article describes
where are all the loudmouth bloggers now, we chareidim knew this from the start, its you fools who need a reality check!
The Lubavitcher Rebbe is known to have had close contacts with almost every PM of Israel. But its known that the Rebbe had little regard for Golda Meir. This sheds light on her stance at the opening of the Yom Kippur War when Golda Meir was informed of the imminent war in the early hours of the morning of Yom Kippur that war is imminent she refused to allow any pre-emptive airstrike despite the entreaties of the insistence of the Generals, that would have most definitely turned the war in very much in Israel’s favour in a similar fashion to the 6 day war pre-emptive strike. She went further and even refused to allow the army to call up all the reserves immediately “in order to ‘prove’ to the world that Israel is not the aggressor”. The Rebbe says that this immoral decision caused the deaths of thousands of Jewish lives. Over 3,000 soldiers died in the Yom Kippur War, in a wasteful and painful war. And all this death was because she wanted to prove a point to the world. What did Israel gain from this terrible sacrifice? Yet Israel’s leaders continue to try to appease the world at the expense of its own citizen’s lives – and for nought.
I can only say one word “DISGUSTING” beyond believe
read the “seventh million” the original people of the Zionist movement. were self centered, and power hungry. very sad
The reform Jew Henrietta Szold organized the Youth Aliyah which saved Jewish children
Re-read the article—Golda wrote the letter in 1958, not 1945. Israel had absorbed hundreds of thousands of people in a very short time and was strained economically. My family lived in Israel during that time. Life was very hard for the people there, and the time period was referred to as the “tzenah” (deprivation). Water and food was rationed for all.
If a letter like that was written nowadays, with Israel doing so much better, I could understand condemnation, but a little perspective is needed. Were those people in imminent danger? Did they stay in Poland? Did they go elsewhere?
Also, ask yourselves, especially those who are anti-Zionist—–does your school accept each and every child who needs special education? How about children whose parents cannot afford any tuition?
As is most often the case people are complex. On the one hand she and the Zionist leaders could have done more to save Jews during and after the war. Yet, on the other hand HKBH has used them as His tools for creating a state in EY which has funded Torah learning in a manner which boggles the mind even with all the cutbacks! The fact that He used them rather than someone else, probably means that they had zchusim which we dont appreciate. They will get the schar and onshin that they deserve.
1)The letter was in 1958 thirteen years after the Holocaust.
Israel took in over a million refugees in the first thirteen years. (Ashkenazi and Sephardi)
NOTHING was done about the letter it was just a recommendation. based on the Statesinability to pay.
2) A short note about Kasztner. Ben Hecht and the early Zionists considered him a collaborater because he worked with the Germans to save some Jews ,rather then FIGHT. In those days the fact that Jews went like sheep to the slaughter was considered a great shame. The attitude slowly changed and today Kasztner’s image has been rehabilitated. I find it hypocritical the the Chareidim that for the most part didn’t support military uprisings ,should criticize Kasztner for not telling the people to fight.
I feel people should try and understand the issues before popping off.
y e mach shemoo
I love how Orthodox Jews love to gloat and brag about the 1948, 1967, 1972 wars as if they were an integral part of it, and proceed to rip the “Zionists” when they find it convenient. Take credit for someone else’s achievements, and shoulder none of the blame for their faults. Brilliant. Nobody has any idea what was going on in Israel at the time or what the circumstances surrounding this document were, yet they find the need to pass judgment on a whole movement for this supposed horrible crime which has no context. Classic and oh so typical from the “love your fellow Jew” crowd.
I am embarrassed I don’t know what to even think anymore I always thought that back in the days they were somewhat more menchlech but I guess I’m wrong for these reshaim a yid means nothing its really scary. The bottom line is : we have to trust hashem only ! Waiting for mashiach!
I am embarrassed I don’t know what to even think anymore I always thought that back in the days they were somewhat more menchlech but I guess I’m wrong for these reshaim a yid means nothing its really scary. The bottom line is : we have to trust hashem only ! Waiting for mashiach!
I am someone who blives that the label of Nazi is thrown around far too much and too often nowdays. To compare every left-winger and academic e.t.c to the nazi’s just because something they said is anti-jewish or contervisional is wrong. However if this story is true it smells of nazism, in that it says we don’t want you if your sick but we’ll keep you if your healthy. this is mamash similar to the dreaded selection process. how sad that any Jew, whever they are and whatever people may think of them, what even think of doing this, let alone actualise by putting it into a letter.
none the less it is no reason for me to lessen my zionist position. In every camp there are bad apples, be it amognst a hemishe, not so hemishe or goyshie crowd. Just because a person did on bad thing it doesn’t make them a rasha, if it did I’m sure we’d all be rashiyim. Look at the bigger picture and believe in the cause and don’t judge it by one bad act
Golda Meir was active in politics for many years. You can’t condemn her for a single stray statement. You have to look at her entire record- policies, agendas, actions, correspondences, speeches and so forth. Then put this single letter into the context of her overall record as well as the context of the times- and see whether it fits in, or whether it was anomalous. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d find similar attitudes among charedim of the time. (We know that there were rabbonim who opposed aliyah of those frum Jews whom they felt didn’t fit their idea of a Jewish community in Israel.)
Now supposed the question was concerning the Aliyah of young frum Jews? Two possibilities and two knee-jerk responses:
1) Encourage Aliyah. That way they’ll become assimilated into secular Israel.
2) Discourage Aliyah: We don’t want frum Jews.
Does anyone doubt that the sick and handicapped would have fared better in North America than the still primitive Israel of 1958? Forcing/encouraging them to live in a place unequipped for them is cruel!
To all the Orthodox Jews, you don’t have the right to blame or ridicule any Zionist leader because unlike your communities, it was mainly the secular Jews that spearheaded and bleed for the Zionist dream and for Israel. Except the Modern Orthodox movement or the “Religious Zionists” that obsess themselves with settler mission, the rest of Orthodox communities only benefited and took a free ride from the daunting task and hard work of Zionists who were rebuilding a 3rd world country while fighting major wars with a small army.
If anyone that knows Israel of 1950s, people will remember how thousands of families literally lived in communal tents and shanty constructions because there was no infrastructure or enough buildings to house people. There was no TV, radio was a luxury, no refrigerators, no running water or public pluming and electricity grids in majority of the country. People relied on trucks to deliver daily water and food. The economy was very weak and every last penny went to defense funds. Taking care of disabled is very expensive for the state and Israel didn’t have the hospitals and nursing homes of today. This Golda’s proposal was NOT A PERMANENT rule
Typical Zionist actions. Not any different from Ussiskin, Mayer, Kastner, Weizman, Sharrett, Ben Gurion, Ebban and the rest of them. At the same time, the government wrangled over giving Yeshivs equal statuts with secular institutions. I am sure Yehuda Bauer will come out in a few days and put some metaphorical spin how this was a good thing.
To all of you condemning Golda – at least she had the guts to move from the U.S. to Israel and work hard to build the state – so that you comfortable Americans can fress on falafel in Geulah.
i agree with #28
Note, that Golda was elected prime minister. She must have fooled lots and lots of jews to be elected if she was so coldhearted.
I have no doubt if there was any real danger to the sick or elderly , Israel would have done everything. But the fact is, at that time, Poland was not that much worse than Israel.