Bidspirit auction | “For a Jewish and Independent

“For a Jewish and Independent Palestine” - An important publication supporting the Zionist idea by a non-Jewish author. Belgium, 1951 - First edition. Presentation copy, inscribed and signed by the author - Pour une Palestine juive et indépendante - “For a Jewish and Independent Palestine, ” by Jean Groffier, Brussels (Edit. J. Wellens), 1951 - First edition. On the title page: “written by a non-Jew.” Presentation copy, inscribed and signed by the author. Rare. “The Jewish people is the only people that has survived from antiquity to the present day without evident assimilation and without rationalization of customs imposed over centuries. The ‘Law’ did not bow its head under the most diverse regimes, the most cruel hardships. The unique phenomenon of the survival of this small people, which has remained afloat after every upheaval, appears as a miracle…” Jean Groffier (1908–1989) was a Belgian writer, poet, and journalist. He showed great interest in the Middle East and in the question of Jewish nationalism, and in this book he expresses his sympathy for the Zionist idea in the period following World War II and the Holocaust. He explains that the right of the Jews to an independent state in the Land of Israel is a natural right of every people, all the more so for a people that has contributed so greatly to humanity. He views Zionism not only as a political solution, but also as a historical and moral justice. Groffier examines the achievements of the Jewish Yishuv and its ability to establish a modern and democratic state. He seeks to explain to a Francophone readership why Jewish independence is essential for stability and progress in the region. Groffier praises the achievements of the Jewish people and writes that their modern accomplishments should be regarded as connected to their thousands-of-years-old history, and not solely to the modern Zionist movement. The book was written at a time when many European intellectuals were attempting to process the implications of the Holocaust and the new dynamics of the Cold War in the Middle East, and had internalized that the Jewish people are indestructible. Rare. Only three records in the WorldCat global library catalog. 96 pages. Good condition.