Brief Summary
This video explores Hitler's views on Palestine, examining his statements in "Mein Kampf" and his speeches, as well as the Haavara Agreement, which facilitated Jewish migration to Palestine. It also discusses Hitler's evolving relationship with the Arab world, particularly his alliance with Hajj Amin al-Husseini, and the conflicting accounts of Hitler's promises regarding the extermination of Jews in Palestine. The video concludes by mentioning the establishment of Einsatzkommando Egypt, a Nazi unit intended to operate in Palestine, and its implications for understanding Nazi plans in the region.
- Hitler initially viewed the idea of a Jewish state in Palestine with suspicion, believing it was a cover for international swindling.
- He used the issue of Palestine to criticize British policies and highlight what he perceived as their hypocrisy.
- The Haavara Agreement between Nazi Germany and Zionist Jews facilitated the migration of approximately 60,000 German Jews to British Mandatory Palestine.
- Hitler's relationship with the Arab world evolved, leading to an alliance with Hajj Amin al-Husseini, with conflicting accounts of Hitler's promises regarding the extermination of Jews in Palestine.
- The establishment of Einsatzkommando Egypt suggests concrete Nazi plans to extend their extermination policies to Palestine, though the extent of these plans is debated.
British Mandatory Palestine
By the time World War I began, the region encompassing modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories was under Ottoman rule. British forces conquered this area, and after the war, the British established Mandatory Palestine. During the war, the British issued the Balfour Declaration, expressing their support for creating a homeland for Jewish people, who had faced persecution in Europe. In the interwar period, Jewish migration from Europe to Mandatory Palestine increased, leading to tensions and violent clashes with the local Arab population. After World War II, the British left the area, and the State of Israel was declared.
Hitler's Views on Palestine
In his book "Mein Kampf," Hitler expressed skepticism about the Zionist movement, claiming that Jews did not genuinely intend to build a state in Palestine for refuge but rather to establish a central organization for international swindling, beyond the control of other states. In his speeches between 1922 and 1945, Hitler frequently addressed the issue of Palestine, often to criticize British policies and accuse them of hypocrisy. For example, in a speech on April 1, 1939, he questioned Britain's right to criticize Germany while they themselves were suppressing Arabs in Palestine. In a Reichstag speech on April 28, he accused England of curtailing Palestinian freedom and robbing them of their independence to benefit Jewish "intruders".
Haavara Agreement and Shifting Alliances
In the early years of the Nazi regime, Hitler supported Jewish migration to Palestine through the Haavara Agreement, signed in 1933 between Zionist Jews and Nazi Germany, which resulted in approximately 60,000 German Jews immigrating to British Mandatory Palestine. Initially, Nazi leaders supported Jewish nationalism as a means to segregate the Jewish population. However, Hitler initially lacked sympathy for the Arab cause, seeking an alliance with Great Britain and viewing Arabs as an inferior race. This changed after World War II broke out, leading to a prohibition of Jewish immigration out of the Third Reich and Nazi-occupied territories, and Hitler found an ally in Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
Alliance with al-Husseini and Einsatzkommando Egypt
Hitler promised al-Husseini that after German victories in North Africa, the Levant, and the Soviet Union, Germany would exterminate the Jews of Palestine. However, other accounts suggest Hitler stated his intention to destroy the power protecting the Jews in Palestine, referring to defeating the British. In June 1942, the Nazis established Einsatzkommando Egypt, a unit intended to accompany the Wehrmacht into Egypt and Palestine. However, the Germans were defeated during the Second Battle of El Alamein, preventing them from reaching the Middle East. Some historians view the establishment of Einsatzkommando Egypt as evidence of concrete Nazi plans to exterminate the Jews of Palestine.
