JEWS DISPLACED FROM ARAB COUNTRIES: A STORY OF COLLUSION
(League of Arab States)
JEWS DISPLACED FROM ARAB COUNTRIES: A STORY OF COLLUSION (League of Arab States)
Note: All documents are referenced and all source material is readily available in the United Nations Archives
Chronology of Events and Evidence
For over 2,500 years, Jews resided in North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf region in substantial numbers – fully 1,000 years before the advent of Islam. During the twentieth century, the uprooting of up to one million Jews from their ancient Jewish communities in ten Arab countries did not occur by happenstance.
State-sanctioned repressive measures, coupled often with violence and repression, precipitated the Jewish refugee problem in the Middle East.
Chronology of Events and Evidence
For over 2,500 years, Jews resided in North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf region in substantial numbers – fully 1,000 years before the advent of Islam. During the twentieth century, the uprooting of up to one million Jews from their ancient Jewish communities in ten Arab countries did not occur by happenstance.
State-sanctioned repressive measures, coupled often with violence and repression, precipitated the Jewish refugee problem in the Middle East.
There is ample evidence that points to collusion, a shared pattern of conduct amongst a number of Arab regimes that appeared intended to coerce Jews to leave, or to use them as weapons in the Arab world’s struggle against the State of Israel. This is evidenced from:
(a) The drafting of a Law by the Political
Committee of the Arab League that recommended a coordinated strategy of repressive measures against Jews;
(b) strikingly similar legislation and discriminatory decrees, enacted by numerous Arab governments, that violated the fundamental rights and freedoms of Jews resident in Arab countries;
(c) statements made by delegates of Arab countries at the U.N. during the debate on the ‘Partition Resolution’, representing a pattern of ominous threats made against Jews in Arab countries; and (d) newspaper reports from that period.
This Chronology provides a small sample, and not an exhaustive survey, of such of events and evidence.
* * * * *
In 1947, the Political Committee of the Arab League (League of Arab States) drafted a law that was to govern the legal status of Jewish residents in all Arab League countries (See attached Exhibit E). Arab diplomats at the UN sought to attribute blame for any danger to Jews on the Arab “masses” – indeed, even
to the UN itself – while, in fact, the Arab League was colluding to encourage state sanctioned discrimination against Jews in all of its member states – at the time, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, and Yemen.
(a) The drafting of a Law by the Political
Committee of the Arab League that recommended a coordinated strategy of repressive measures against Jews;
(b) strikingly similar legislation and discriminatory decrees, enacted by numerous Arab governments, that violated the fundamental rights and freedoms of Jews resident in Arab countries;
(c) statements made by delegates of Arab countries at the U.N. during the debate on the ‘Partition Resolution’, representing a pattern of ominous threats made against Jews in Arab countries; and (d) newspaper reports from that period.
This Chronology provides a small sample, and not an exhaustive survey, of such of events and evidence.
* * * * *
In 1947, the Political Committee of the Arab League (League of Arab States) drafted a law that was to govern the legal status of Jewish residents in all Arab League countries (See attached Exhibit E). Arab diplomats at the UN sought to attribute blame for any danger to Jews on the Arab “masses” – indeed, even
to the UN itself – while, in fact, the Arab League was colluding to encourage state sanctioned discrimination against Jews in all of its member states – at the time, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, and Yemen.
This Draft Law of the Arab League provided that “…all Jews – with the exception of citizens of non-Arab countries – were to be considered members of the Jewish ‘minority state of Palestine,'; that their bank accounts would be frozen and used to finance resistance to ‘Zionist ambitions in Palestine; Jews believed to
be active Zionists would be interned as political prisoners and their assets confiscated; only Jews who accept active service in Arab armies or place themselves at the disposal of these armies would be considered ‘Arabs.'” 1
From the sheer volume of subsequent state-sanctioned discriminatory measures, replicated in so many Arab countries and instituted in such a parallel fashion, one is drawn to the conclusion that such evidence suggests a common pattern of repressive measures, – indeed collusion – against Jews by Arab governments
(See attached “State Sanctioned Persecution of Jews in Egypt {Exhibit K} and Iraq {Exhibit L}).
1 Text of Law Drafted by Political Committee of Arab League (See attached Exhibit E)
The following official statements demonstrate a pattern of ominously similar threats made against Jews in Arab countries:
November 24, 1947
In a key address to the Political Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on the morning of November 24, 1947, just five days before that body voted on the Partition plan for Palestine, Heykal Pasha, an Egyptian delegate, made the following statement:
“The United Nations … should not lose sight of the fact that the proposed solution might endanger a million Jews living in the Muslim countries. … If the United Nations decided to partition Palestine they might be responsible for very grave disorders and for the massacre of a large number of Jews.” 2
November 24, 1947
In an afternoon session of the Political Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on November 24, 1947, the Palestinian delegate to the UN, Jamal Husseini, representing the Arab Higher Committee of Palestine to the UN General Assembly, made the following threat:
“It should be remembered that there were as many Jews in the Arab world as there are in Palestine whose positions might become very precarious.” 3
November 28, 1947
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fadil Jamali, at the 126th Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly stated:
“Not only the uprising of the Arabs in Palestine is to be expected but the masses in the Arab world cannot be restrained. The Arab-Jewish relationship in the Arab world will greatly deteriorate.” 4
January 19, 1948
A memorandum was submitted to the U.N. Economic and Social Council by the World Jewish Congress, warning ECOSOC that “all Jews residing in the Near and Middle East face extreme and imminent danger.” The memorandum referred to the Text of Law Drafted by Political Committee of [the] Arab League (See attached Exhibit E) which was already adopted by Egypt, Saudi Arabia
and Iraq. This law recommended discriminatory treatment against Jewish residents in all Arab League countries. The Memorandum went on to report on recent incidents of violence and other anti-Jewish measures in a variety of Arab countries. Due to the “extreme urgency” of this matter, the WJC requested that this matter be placed on “the agenda of the forthcoming” meeting of the
U.N. Economic and Social Council.
2 U.N. General Assembly, Second Session, Official Records, Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question, Summary Record of the Thirteenth Meeting, Lake Success, N.Y., November 24, 1947 (A/AC.14/SR.30). This comment was made at 10:30 am.
3 U.N. General Assembly, Second Session, Official Records, Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question, Summary Record of the Thirty-First Meeting, Lake Success, N.Y., November 24, 2947 (A/AC.14/SR.31) This
comment was made at 2:30 pm.
4 U.N. General Assembly, Second Session, Official Records, Verbatim Record of the 126th Plenary Meeting, November 28, 1947, p. 1391.
February 16, 1948
A second Memorandum was submitted by the World Jewish Congress to the ECOSOC President, citing cases of serious violence, economic discrimination and “anti-Jewish excesses” that had occurred in Syria. Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Bahrain, urging the Council “to take up the situation of these Jewish populations as a matter of immediate international concern.” 5
March 5, 1948
Item 37 on the agenda of the UN Economic and Social Council, supported by Document E/710
(See attached Exhibit J) was to deal with the “extreme and imminent danger” to Jews in Arab countries. The Council’s President, Dr. Charles H. Malik (Lebanon), utilized a procedural maneuver that resulted in the matter never being addressed.
March 11, 1948
When the Council was ready to resume its deliberations, Mr. Katz-Suchy (Poland) requested that the matter of Document E/710 (See attached Exhibit J: The World Jewish Congress Memorandum that alluded to “The extreme and imminent danger to Jews residing in the near and Middle East) be
reconsidered. He charged that “agreement had been reached among the five major Powers not to discuss document E/710″ and argued that “usual” Council procedure was not followed. Mr. Kaminsky (Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic) declared that “he could not condone a practice whereby items on the agenda were allowed to disappear from the agenda.” A resolution
recommending that this matter be discussed in full at the next Council meeting (July 1948) was adopted by a vote of 15 – 1. The lone dissenting vote was cast by the representative of Lebanon who stated that the resolution “was tantamount to prejudging the issue.”
May 16, 1948
A New York Times article reported on Law drafted by the Political Committee of the Arab League and revealed some of its provisions:
“It [the law] provides that beginning on an unspecified date all Jews except citizens of non-Arab states, would be considered “members of the Jewish minority state of Palestine.”
Their bank accounts would be frozen and used to finance resistance to “Zionist ambitions in Palestine.” Jews believed to be active Zionists would be interned and their assets confiscated.” 6
June 21, 1948
The Council referred this matter back to the NGO Committee of ECOSOC which met and reviewed document E/710 (i.e. The World Jewish Congress Memorandum that alluded to “The extreme and imminent danger to Jews residing in the near and Middle East). A resolution “concluded that it should not make specific recommendations regarding the substance of the consultation (WJC Memorandum) unless specifically requested by Council” 7. This circuitous
‘buck passing’ ensured that the matter was never addressed.
5 Report on the Activities of the Political Department (November 15, 1947 – May 15, 1948)
6 New York Times May 16, 1948 “Jews in Grave Danger in All Muslim Lands, Nine hundred thousand in Africa and Asia face wrath of their foes.” by Mallory Browne.
7 Report on the Council NGO Committee (Item 31) (E/940) August 9, 1948
be active Zionists would be interned as political prisoners and their assets confiscated; only Jews who accept active service in Arab armies or place themselves at the disposal of these armies would be considered ‘Arabs.'” 1
From the sheer volume of subsequent state-sanctioned discriminatory measures, replicated in so many Arab countries and instituted in such a parallel fashion, one is drawn to the conclusion that such evidence suggests a common pattern of repressive measures, – indeed collusion – against Jews by Arab governments
(See attached “State Sanctioned Persecution of Jews in Egypt {Exhibit K} and Iraq {Exhibit L}).
1 Text of Law Drafted by Political Committee of Arab League (See attached Exhibit E)
The following official statements demonstrate a pattern of ominously similar threats made against Jews in Arab countries:
November 24, 1947
In a key address to the Political Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on the morning of November 24, 1947, just five days before that body voted on the Partition plan for Palestine, Heykal Pasha, an Egyptian delegate, made the following statement:
“The United Nations … should not lose sight of the fact that the proposed solution might endanger a million Jews living in the Muslim countries. … If the United Nations decided to partition Palestine they might be responsible for very grave disorders and for the massacre of a large number of Jews.” 2
November 24, 1947
In an afternoon session of the Political Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on November 24, 1947, the Palestinian delegate to the UN, Jamal Husseini, representing the Arab Higher Committee of Palestine to the UN General Assembly, made the following threat:
“It should be remembered that there were as many Jews in the Arab world as there are in Palestine whose positions might become very precarious.” 3
November 28, 1947
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fadil Jamali, at the 126th Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly stated:
“Not only the uprising of the Arabs in Palestine is to be expected but the masses in the Arab world cannot be restrained. The Arab-Jewish relationship in the Arab world will greatly deteriorate.” 4
January 19, 1948
A memorandum was submitted to the U.N. Economic and Social Council by the World Jewish Congress, warning ECOSOC that “all Jews residing in the Near and Middle East face extreme and imminent danger.” The memorandum referred to the Text of Law Drafted by Political Committee of [the] Arab League (See attached Exhibit E) which was already adopted by Egypt, Saudi Arabia
and Iraq. This law recommended discriminatory treatment against Jewish residents in all Arab League countries. The Memorandum went on to report on recent incidents of violence and other anti-Jewish measures in a variety of Arab countries. Due to the “extreme urgency” of this matter, the WJC requested that this matter be placed on “the agenda of the forthcoming” meeting of the
U.N. Economic and Social Council.
2 U.N. General Assembly, Second Session, Official Records, Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question, Summary Record of the Thirteenth Meeting, Lake Success, N.Y., November 24, 1947 (A/AC.14/SR.30). This comment was made at 10:30 am.
3 U.N. General Assembly, Second Session, Official Records, Ad Hoc Committee on the Palestinian Question, Summary Record of the Thirty-First Meeting, Lake Success, N.Y., November 24, 2947 (A/AC.14/SR.31) This
comment was made at 2:30 pm.
4 U.N. General Assembly, Second Session, Official Records, Verbatim Record of the 126th Plenary Meeting, November 28, 1947, p. 1391.
February 16, 1948
A second Memorandum was submitted by the World Jewish Congress to the ECOSOC President, citing cases of serious violence, economic discrimination and “anti-Jewish excesses” that had occurred in Syria. Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Bahrain, urging the Council “to take up the situation of these Jewish populations as a matter of immediate international concern.” 5
March 5, 1948
Item 37 on the agenda of the UN Economic and Social Council, supported by Document E/710
(See attached Exhibit J) was to deal with the “extreme and imminent danger” to Jews in Arab countries. The Council’s President, Dr. Charles H. Malik (Lebanon), utilized a procedural maneuver that resulted in the matter never being addressed.
March 11, 1948
When the Council was ready to resume its deliberations, Mr. Katz-Suchy (Poland) requested that the matter of Document E/710 (See attached Exhibit J: The World Jewish Congress Memorandum that alluded to “The extreme and imminent danger to Jews residing in the near and Middle East) be
reconsidered. He charged that “agreement had been reached among the five major Powers not to discuss document E/710″ and argued that “usual” Council procedure was not followed. Mr. Kaminsky (Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic) declared that “he could not condone a practice whereby items on the agenda were allowed to disappear from the agenda.” A resolution
recommending that this matter be discussed in full at the next Council meeting (July 1948) was adopted by a vote of 15 – 1. The lone dissenting vote was cast by the representative of Lebanon who stated that the resolution “was tantamount to prejudging the issue.”
May 16, 1948
A New York Times article reported on Law drafted by the Political Committee of the Arab League and revealed some of its provisions:
“It [the law] provides that beginning on an unspecified date all Jews except citizens of non-Arab states, would be considered “members of the Jewish minority state of Palestine.”
Their bank accounts would be frozen and used to finance resistance to “Zionist ambitions in Palestine.” Jews believed to be active Zionists would be interned and their assets confiscated.” 6
June 21, 1948
The Council referred this matter back to the NGO Committee of ECOSOC which met and reviewed document E/710 (i.e. The World Jewish Congress Memorandum that alluded to “The extreme and imminent danger to Jews residing in the near and Middle East). A resolution “concluded that it should not make specific recommendations regarding the substance of the consultation (WJC Memorandum) unless specifically requested by Council” 7. This circuitous
‘buck passing’ ensured that the matter was never addressed.
5 Report on the Activities of the Political Department (November 15, 1947 – May 15, 1948)
6 New York Times May 16, 1948 “Jews in Grave Danger in All Muslim Lands, Nine hundred thousand in Africa and Asia face wrath of their foes.” by Mallory Browne.
7 Report on the Council NGO Committee (Item 31) (E/940) August 9, 1948
Exhibit E
Text of Law drafted by Political Committee of Arab League
Text of Law drafted by Political Committee of Arab League
1. Beginning with November 28, 1947, all Jewish citizens of (Name of Arab Country) will be considered as members of the Jewish minority State of Palestine and will have to register with the authorities of the region wherein they reside, giving their names, the exact number of members in their families, their addresses, the names of their banks and the amounts of their deposits in these banks. This formality is to be accomplished within seven days.
2. Beginning with (November 28, 1947), bank accounts of Jews will be frozen. These funds will be utilized in part or in full to finance the movement of resistance to Zionist ambitions in Palestine.
3. Beginning with (November 28, 1947), only Jews who are subjects of foreign countries will be considered as “neutrals”. These will be compelled either to return to their countries, with a minimum of delay, or be considered as Arabs and obliged to accept active service with the Arab army.
4. Jews who accept active service in Arab armies or place themselves at the disposal of those armies, will be considered as “Arabs”.
5. Every Jew whose activities reveal that he is an active Zionist will be considered as a political prisoner and will be interned in places specifically designated for that purpose by police authorities or by the Government. His financial resources, instead of being frozen, will be confiscated.
6. Any Jew who will be able to prove that his activities are anti-Zionist will be free to act as he likes, provided that he declares his readiness to join the Arab armies.
7. The foregoing (para.6) does not mean that those Jews will not be submitted to paragraphs 1 and 2 of this law.
Very interesting post, have put a link to your posting.
Will.
New documents reveal how Eugenio Pacelli saved Jews in Palestine
Eugenio Pacelli, who in 1939 became Pope Pius XII, actively supported Zionism during World War I, German historian Michael Hesemann claims in his book “The Pope Who Defied Hitler. The Truth About Pius XII.” Hesemann, who is one of the few historians with access to the Vatican Secret Archives, states he found evidence that Pacelli in 1917 as Apostolic Nuntius in Munich, successfully intervened in favour of the Jewish settlers in Palestine. He located five documents in the collection of papers from the “Nuntiatura Apostolica Baviera”, which under the headline “Guerra Europ, Palestina # 1, Pop. Giudaica e delle Cittá Santa delle Palestina” (European War, Palestine # 1, Jewish Population and the Holy City of Palestine) document his demarche. Originally, the Jewish Community of the neutral Switzerland had approached Pope Benedict XV., asking him to use his influence to prevent a Turkish aggression against the Jewish population of Palestine, which at that time belonged to the Ottoman Empire.
Instead of approaching the Ottoman government in Constantinople, the Pope decided for a clever diplomatic move. The Muslims Turks would not care too much for the Pope, but certainly had an open ear for their most powerful ally, the German Reich. Since the Holy See did not have a Nuntiature in Berlin, but in Munich at that time, Pacelli would be resposnible. Benedict XV. knew that his Nuntius always was friendly towards Jewish affairs.
Only a few weeks before he was sent to Munich, when Pacelli was Undersecretary of State of the Holy See, responsible for Foreign Affairs, Zionist leader Nachum Sokolow came to Rome to learn about the Holy See’s position on the question of a future Jewish state in Palestine. When he was received by Pacelli, he was deeply moved by his warmth and openness towards Zionism. To his uttermost surprise, Pacelli suddenly asked him if he would like to meet the Pope. Sokolow never thought this would be possible for a Jew. Thanks to Pacelli, he had a private audience with Benedict XV a few days later, which lasted for 45 minutes. The Pope called the Zionist initiative “providential” and “in accordance with God’s will” and relased Sokolow with the words: “I am sure we will be good neighbors”. Sokolows six-pages-report on this encounters, written on May 10, 1917, can be found in File A 18/25 in the Main Archive of Yad Vashem.
Only a few month later, the Zionist settlers were in danger. The Turks suspected the Jews to be collaborators of the British, who had supported the Arab revolt and opened a second front in the southwest of the Ottoman Empire. In a similar way, two years before, the Armenians were suspected to be collaborators of the Russian, another enemy of the Turks.
Cemal Pasha, the Turkish Commander who was responsible for the Armenian genocide with its 1.5 Million victims, threatened the Jewish-Zionist settlers. In Jaffa, more than 8000 Jews were forced to leave their homes, which were sacked by the Turks. Two Jews were hanged in front of the town gate, dozens were found dead on the beach. In March, Reuters news agency reported a “massive expulsion of Jews who could face a similar fate as the Armenians”. A report of the Zionist Office in Copenhagen expressed the worry that the Jews of Palestine would face extermination by hunger, thirst and diseases.
On the same day, when the Papal Secretary of State requested if he could “act for the protection of the Jewish sites and population of Jerusalem”, Pacelli drafted and sent a letter to the Bavarian Secretary of State, Ritter von Dandl, asking him for an urgent intervention in Berlin. A copy of both, the draft and the final version, Hesemann located in the Vatican Secret Archives – as well as the surprising reply.
Other than half a year before, this time, the Berlin State Department reacted and sent a demarche to the Ottoman government. On November 27, 1917, according to an internal memorandum, they received the reply from Constantinople that “there is no reason to fear that the Turkish authorities in Palestine order measures against the Jewish population.”
Consequently, Ritter von Dendl and through him Pacelli were informed two days later: “According to the available information from the Turkish side, care was already taken for the protection of the the holy sites of Jerusalem which are also subject of veneration by the Muslims and also for the population. Of course this includes the Jews, who don’t have to fear any exemptions.”
On December 11, 1917, when the British Forces under command of General Allenby conquered Jerusalem, the Jews of Palestine could indeed feel relieved.
The discovery of Pacellis correspondence in this matter confirms the claim of the Israeli diplomat and historian Pinchas Lapide (1922-1997), who stated in 1967 that
Eugenio Pacelli contributed to “save the Jews of Jerusalem as well as the holy sites from an almost certain doom.” According to Lapide, the Vatican demarche was of vital importance for the safety of the Jewish settlers, since at that time the Turkish troops in Palestine were under the command of a German General, Erich von Falkenhayn. About him, his biographer Holger Afflerbach stated: “An inhuman excess against the Jews in Palestine was only prevented through Falkenhayns conduct, which has a special significance in respect to the German history of the 20th century.”
The Zionists were aware of Pacellis demarche. Dr. Jacob Thon, head of the Zionist Office in Jerusalem, wrote in December 1917: “It was an special stroke of good fortune that in the last critical days General von Falkenhayn had the command. Cemal Pasha in this case – as he announced often enough – would have expelled the whole population and turned the country into ruins. We and the whole population, Christians as well as Muslims, must remember P.(acelli) with deep gratitude, since he saved the civil population from doom when he prevented the planned evacuation of this area.” (Letter to the German Embassy in Constantinople of Jan 1st, 1918, Microfilm K 1800 72/73, Zionist Central Archive, Jerusalem)
Eugenio Pacelli continued to be a friend of Jews and Zionists, even when the Holy See adopted a rather sceptical policy. In 1922, the Vatican’s official newspaper “L’Osservatore Romano” expressed worries about the socialist ideas circulating among Zionist settlers. But only four years later, Pacelli encouraged German Catholics to join and support the “German Committee Pro Palestine to Support the Jewish Settlement in Palestine”, founded in 1926. Among its board members was not only Albert Einstein, but also Pacelli’s closest friend and advisor, the German politician and Catholic Prelate Dr. Ludwig Kaas.
Once again, the man who became Pope Pius XII proved to be a friend who always had an open ear for the affairs and problems of Jews.
On the same day, when the Papal Secretary of State requested if he could “act for the protection of the Jewish sites and population of Jerusalem”, Pacelli drafted and sent a letter to the Bavarian Secretary of State, Ritter von Dandl, asking him for an urgent intervention in Berlin. A copy of both, the draft and the final version, Hesemann located in the Vatican Secret Archives – as well as the surprising reply.
Other than half a year before, this time, the Berlin State Department reacted and sent a demarche to the Ottoman government. On November 27, 1917, according to an internal memorandum, they received the reply from Constantinople that “there is no reason to fear that the Turkish authorities in Palestine order measures against the Jewish population.”
Consequently, Ritter von Dendl and through him Pacelli were informed two days later: “According to the available information from the Turkish side, care was already taken for the protection of the the holy sites of Jerusalem which are also subject of veneration by the Muslims and also for the population. Of course this includes the Jews, who don’t have to fear any exemptions.”
On December 11, 1917, when the British Forces under command of General Allenby conquered Jerusalem, the Jews of Palestine could indeed feel relieved.
The discovery of Pacellis correspondence in this matter confirms the claim of the Israeli diplomat and historian Pinchas Lapide (1922-1997), who stated in 1967 that
Eugenio Pacelli contributed to “save the Jews of Jerusalem as well as the holy sites from an almost certain doom.” According to Lapide, the Vatican demarche was of vital importance for the safety of the Jewish settlers, since at that time the Turkish troops in Palestine were under the command of a German General, Erich von Falkenhayn. About him, his biographer Holger Afflerbach stated: “An inhuman excess against the Jews in Palestine was only prevented through Falkenhayns conduct, which has a special significance in respect to the German history of the 20th century.”
The Zionists were aware of Pacellis demarche. Dr. Jacob Thon, head of the Zionist Office in Jerusalem, wrote in December 1917: “It was an special stroke of good fortune that in the last critical days General von Falkenhayn had the command. Cemal Pasha in this case – as he announced often enough – would have expelled the whole population and turned the country into ruins. We and the whole population, Christians as well as Muslims, must remember P.(acelli) with deep gratitude, since he saved the civil population from doom when he prevented the planned evacuation of this area.” (Letter to the German Embassy in Constantinople of Jan 1st, 1918, Microfilm K 1800 72/73, Zionist Central Archive, Jerusalem)
Eugenio Pacelli continued to be a friend of Jews and Zionists, even when the Holy See adopted a rather sceptical policy. In 1922, the Vatican’s official newspaper “L’Osservatore Romano” expressed worries about the socialist ideas circulating among Zionist settlers. But only four years later, Pacelli encouraged German Catholics to join and support the “German Committee Pro Palestine to Support the Jewish Settlement in Palestine”, founded in 1926. Among its board members was not only Albert Einstein, but also Pacelli’s closest friend and advisor, the German politician and Catholic Prelate Dr. Ludwig Kaas.
I'm sure you can name a single Nazi (many of whom still considered themselves Catholics)that he ever excommunicated over their participation in the Holocaust. There had to be at least one, no? Maybe just one member of the Einsatzgruppen or a camp commandant?
OK, I'll give you another shot..perhaps you can tell us about a single Vatican document issued during the Shoah that unambiguously stated that what Hitler was doing to the Jews was evil and that any Catholic who participated would be excommunicated?
Pius XII undoubtedly saved some Jews during the Shoah, mostly in Rome. It's good that he did, but how many more would have been saved if the Pope had taken a stand earlier?
BTW, Hitler only came to power in 1933 because Germany's Catholic Center Party agreed to be part of his coalition. Pius was Vatican Secretary of State at that time, he and the Church were under no illusions as to what Hitler had planned and had they spoken out, the Center party would never have joined Hitler's coalition and Hitler might never have even come to power.
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2006/12/professor-bigers-turkophilic-fantasies.html
excluded active members of the Nazi party from the Catholic sacraments as early as 1930; the order was only lifted after the Nazi take-over of power, since they feared a new persecution, a step criticized by Pacelli.
Indeed Pope Pius XII saved more than 850.000 Jews from the Shoah. To avoid a more severe persecution which would end all possibilities of the Church to help and save their victims, the Pope never accused the Nazis openly. Instead he not only only supported the US alliance with Stalin as a way to get rid of Hitler, but also conspired with the German military resistance who planned to assassinate Hitler - the same group which coordinated the unfortunately unsuccessful "Valkyre"-operation. This was the only time in younger history that a Pope was involved into a conspiracy to actually assassinate a head of state!
From the very beginning, the Vatican had condemned Nazi antisemitism. As an example just take the Encyclical "Mit brennender Sorge", the only one ever written in German, read in every German church in 1937 - the harshest condemnation of a political system ever in the history of modern Papacy.
The Vatican never had control over Catholic parties, neither in 1933 nor today. Indeed the coalition of the Center party with the Nazis in 1933 lead to the end of the Party itself; its leading member, Prelate Kaas, left the party and migrated to Rome, out of protest. Still there were Catholics who ignored the warning of their bishops and believed that they could control Hitler, who even considered him "the lesser evil", compared to Communism. Pacelli knew they were wrong. But the Lateran treaty of 1929 forced the Vatican to stay politically neutral and not to influence political parties in any part of the world. All you show is the Vatican's lack of political power, NOT Pacelli's position!
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2008/05/activist-zionists-armenian-genocide-in.html
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2008/05/activist-zionists-armenian-genocide.html
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2008/07/jews-caught-up-in-armenian-genocide.html
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2008/07/armenian-genocide-german-role-in-it-as.html