“A Nos Voisins Arabes!” – “To Our Arab Neighbors!” – “The days of British rule in our country are numbered… all agree it has no right to exist… Our Arab neighbors! …know that we are fighting against those tyrants, not against you. Know that we want to build our homeland with you”. Etzel proclamation in French distributed shortly before the UN vote on November 29th (1947) calling for a joint Jewish-Arab struggle to remove the British rule from Eretz Israel. Eretz Israel, 1940s.
An extremely rare proclamation, portraying Great Britain as the enemy of both Jews and Arabs alike and as having its own interests in the region, and appealing to Arabs to unite with Jews in their fight against the British enemy with imperialist interests and aspirations in the region, as two peoples sharing the fate of the land: “Great Britain wants our country to serve as a springboard from which its armies and air squadrons could threaten all the peoples of the Middle East… by keeping the flames of hatred alive between the the differenty population layers by provoking them to spill their blood until they weaken in internal struggles, then it will be easy for these despicable oppressors to dominate both sides… Their goal is to trigger a bloody war between us that will weaken both sides and allow them to remain in our country for the coming years. Our Arab neighbors! Beware of the vile game of the British oppressors, know that we are fighting against those tyrants, not against you. Know that we want to build our homeland with you and transform it into a free and prosperous state, ensuring happiness and progress for all its children and citizens. Know that the war between Jews and Arabs will only benefit the English. Know that we are ready to fight together with you against the bloodthirsty British empire that exploits both our peoples equally… Your interest and our common interest indicate that you should not rise up against us, but rather march with us in the decisive battle against the British invader… Leave your Jewish neighbors! Come, let us strike together the British oppressor”.
[1] Leaf. 33×21 cm. Typewritten printing. Very good condition.
