LOT #47007 |
Sold on Dec 15, 2023 for: Not Sold
David Ben-Gurion Signed Travel Pass. ...
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Description
David Ben-Gurion's Travel Pass to War-Torn London at the Height of World War II as Leader of the Jewish Agency
David Ben-Gurion Signed Travel Pass. One partially printed
page, 8 x 11 inches, Jerusalem; July 25, 1941. The Belgian General
Consulate in Jerusalem approves Ben-Gurion to travel to London on
July 30, 1941. Signed, "D. Ben-Gurion" with a photograph of
the Chairman of the Jewish Agency in Palestine and leader of the
Mapai party stapled to the left margin.In 1941, Ben-Gurion traveled to London to stay with Arthur Lourie, the future Israeli ambassador to the UK. Little is known about Ben-Gurion's activities in London, but published letters by Chaim Weizmann written during the summer of 1941 make note of Ben-Gurion's arrival and plans. In a letter dated August 19, 1941, Weizmann writes, "Ben Gurion arrived from Palestine a couple of days ago." In another letter to Meyer Weisgal dated August 26, 1941, he writes, "Ben Gurion is here, and has brought us some news of recent developments in Palestine. He also thinks of coming to America in the winter if the question of the formation of a Jewish contingent has been revived by then."
Although his motivations for the trip are unclear, historians note that Ben-Gurion saw his journey as an act of solidarity with the UK, which was being battered by Nazi air strikes. In a letter to his wife, Ben-Gurion wrote of the British resilience, "I am dumbfounded by the levelheadedness and inner confidence of this wonderful nation. It is as if nothing can shock it and nothing undermines its faith and confidence that victory will come in the end." Historian Colin Schindler writes that "London became sanctified" in the eyes of Ben-Gurion for the city's sacrifice.
While Ben-Gurion was at odds with the British government after it issued the 1939 White Paper that limited Jewish immigration to Palestine to 15,000 a year for the first five years, he thoroughly supported the British cause throughout World War II. He encouraged Jews to enlist in the British army, going so far as to say "support the British as if there is no White Paper and oppose the White Paper as if there is no war." In total, 10 percent of the Jewish population in Palestine volunteered to fight for the British. In addition, Ben-Gurion harbored thousands of European refugees throughout the war.
A rare offering documenting Ben-Gurion's wartime travels only seven years before he declared the establishment of the State of Israel.
Condition: Creased along folds and lightly toned. Red pencil notation to the upper right corner and blue pencil notation along the lower third of the document.
References: The Letters and Papers of Chaim Weizmann, 23 Volumes. Edited by Michael Cohen.
Auction Info
2023 December 15 Historical Platinum Session Signature® Auction #6280 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2023
15th
Friday
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