Love us or hate us ? (part 7)

4.Winston Churchill

This man needs no introduction. Younger readers will remember him as the inventor of the "two-fingered gesture", the V-for-Victory sign. Older readers and students of history will acknowledge him for encouraging the bulldog spirit of the British people and rousing them, through his inspiring speeches, to victory (with some help from the Americans) in the Second World War.

Winston Churchill was a great friend of the Jewish people, who he admired greatly. Sometimes, among the British Government, he seemed to be their only friend. Here are some episodes from his life (taken from A History of the Jews by Paul Johnson)

* in 1921 when asked by the Canadian Prime Minister about his opinions of the Balfour Declaration, Churchill replied "To do our best to make an honest effort to give the Jews a chance to make a national home for themselves."

* in 1922, through his pro-Zionist views, ended the current ban on immigration of Jews to Palestine.

* Churchill said that the Jews were the most remarkable race on the earth and their religious contribution, "is worth more than all other knowledge and all other doctrines".

* During the Second World War, as Prime Minister, he was in favour of increased Jewish immigration to Palestine, to save them from Nazi atrocities, but was over-ruled particularly through the efforts of the Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden who was too worried about what the Arabs would think of it, although many were pro-Nazi.

* Churchill was the only real supporter in both Allied governments for the bombing of the Auschwitz death camp factory.

* Churchill was the only supporter of the idea of a Jewish strike force against the Germans. He got his way and the 25,000 strong Jewish Brigade was formed. The experience gained by these Jewish fighters became invaluable when they had to subsequently fight for their existence during the Arab-Israeli wars.