Possible ‘ugly eruption’ in Palestinian ‘Holy Land’ chilled Rabindranath in 1930

Nearly two decades before the creation of what is now called Israel with Western backing, Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore had feared Zionist attempts to marginalise Palestinian Arabs would cause “ugly eruptions” in the “Holy Land”.

“If the Zionist leadership will insist on separating Jewish political and economic interests in Palestine from those of the Arabs, ugly eruptions will occur in the Holy Land,” he had said in an interview with the Jewish Standard during his last visit to America while the newspaper carried it in its November 28, 1930 issue.
Rabindranath, however, did not oppose directly the campaign for Jewish homeland expecting it to reintegrate the Jews with Palestinian Arabs for common good combining their joint efforts and unique qualities.

But the Nobel Laureate made no hesitation to express his fear about the outcome of the then course of the Jewish campaign, saying: “Now your political orientation is leading you into a blind alley, a path without issue”.

“Can you not manage to be Jews and Palestinians at the same time,” he asked his Jewish interviewer, who noted that an “almost supernatural calm” came over Tagore’s face as he leaned back and listened to the echo which his own words had awakened.

Rabindranath then added: “Arab-Jewish harmony must be achieved in Palestine”.

The interviewer asked, “How can this harmony be achieved”, a question that the Bengali poet responded wearily, saying, “I am not a statesman, nor do I pretend to know the answer to your query.”

“(But) I do know the Arabs, and I believe that I know the Jews. And that is why I feel that political and economic co-operation between them can be achieved,” said Rabindranath, whom the interviewer described as a philosopher.

He then narrated his understanding of Jews, saying they were an old people, who withstood persecution, torture, and had refused to lose their identity while their strength lied in their culture and religion.

“The Arabs also are an endurable people. Their religion and culture come from the same mould as those of the Jews. Spiritually, the Arabs have borrowed much from the Jews. Viewed fundamentally, you and they are one family – yes, one great family,” Rabindranath said.

The interviewer noted that with a smile on his face the “philosopher” then commented “family quarrels are always virulent, but they are adjustable”.

“You (Jews) have learned to live among people much further from you than the Arabs, people foreign to you in every respect. Even in America, the land of machine culture, you have managed to be both Jews and Americans,” Rabindranath said.

“I visualize a Palestine Commonwealth in which the Arabs will live their own religious life and the Jews will revive their resplendent culture, but both will be united as one political and economic entity.”

Rabindranath told his interviewer that he could see “there is skepticism in your eyes and you think these the ramblings of a naive poet”.

“You wonder how it can be done. I do not doubt the abilities and special gifts of the Jewish people,” he said visibly reinforcing his appeal for Arab-Jewish harmony to evade the “ugly eruption” in Palestine, renamed 18 years later as Israel as a Zionist country.

Rabindranath had expressed his thoughts in the interview during the time in between the World War I and II, when the European Jews started seeking a religion-based state of theirs while they were living as distinct communities in different countries.

The term “Zionism” visibly did not appear in its current form as a ruthless aggressor, of which Rabindranath was opposed to.

So, when asked if he was “pro-Zionist”, the poet said he “respect” the ideal, simultaneously called upon the followers of the faith to become Jews and Palestinians at the same time.

The interviewer argued, saying: “But Zionism, Dr Tagore, is trying to find an escape from this dual life of the Jew (in different countries). It is intended for those who cannot or do not want to assimilate with other nations”.

“If Jews have to differentiate between Jewish nationalism and Palestinism, as you suggest, then Palestine will be merely another America, France or Germany as far as the Jews are concerned,” insisted the Jewish Standard journalist.

The interviewer noted that “in the rhythmic voice that gives a poetic flavor even to his conversation” Rabindranath replied he understood Zionism “in the same sense as my great friend Einstein”.

“I regard Jewish nationalism as an effort to preserve and enrich Jewish culture and tradition” he said, adding Palestine could ensure it “only if the Jews will include the Arabs in their political and economic program”.

“Your (Jewish) spiritual and cultural programs do not need to sacrifice anything to obtain this political co-operation,” Rabindranath said.

The poet said he visualised a Palestine Commonwealth in which the Arabs would live their own religious life and the Jews would revive their resplendent culture, “but both will be united as one political and economic entity”.

“If you will set your hearts upon convincing the Arabs that their political and economic interests are identical with yours, if you will show them that by your work in Palestine you are building for Arabs and Jews alike, without regard for your cultural differences, the Arabs will in time become your most loyal allies.”

According to the interviewer, he tried to humbly submit that Zionists tried in recent past what Rabindranath suggested but yet they were attacked (following disputes over Jewish use of the Wailing Wall, Jerusalem in 1929).

“Rabindranath Tagore did not let me conclude the sentence. A shadow flitted over his beautiful countenance: ‘Don’t speak about those ugly incidents now. It is because of what happened that I speak as I do’.”

The Bengali poet then said until recently Arab nationalism was primarily spiritual, though different in aspect from the Jewish and for centuries the Arabs have neglected their land, because spiritually they were above political nationalism.

Rabindranath asked the Jews to understand the Arab fears that their spiritual or religious life was endangered by the intensive integration of the Jewish people into Palestine to establish a Jewish homeland.

“I am trying to explain that the Arabs’ psychological adjustment to a Jewish homeland must necessarily be a gradual process,” he said.

Rabindranath said despite some minor differences, he fundamentally agreed with Einstein’s point of view of religion which was “opposed to petty chauvinism, to rigid political nationalism” and rather it would “lead you to that broad nationalism which you can establish in Palestine as an example to the whole of humanity”.

“Come to your co-Palestinians in a free spirit and tell them: ‘You and we are both old races. We are both stubborn races. You cannot subdue us, and we will not try to change you. But we can both be ourselves, retain our identity and still be united in the political aims of Palestine, the Commonwealth of Jews and Arabs,” he said.
Contemporary history suggests what happened to Rabindranath’s expectations. (BSS)