Churchill was ‘too fond of the Jews’

Martin Gilbert

14 March 2007

The article in question, however, was never published. This was fortunate, as it was twice offered for publication. On the third occasion it was offered, in 1940, Churchill noted, ‘I have forgotten all about it’, and would not permit publication. Someone else’s opinions, in an unpublished article, which never appeared in print under Churchill’s name, cannot be laid at Churchill’s door.

Twenty-five years ago I published Churchill’s written instructions to Diston on what this article should cover: ‘Obviously there are four things. The first is to be a good citizen of the country to which he belongs. The second is to avoid too exclusive an association in ordinary matters of business and daily life, and to mingle as much as possible with non-Jews everywhere, apart from race and religion. The third is to keep the Jewish movement free from Communism. The fourth is a perfectly legitimate use by the Jews of their influence throughout the world to bring pressure, economic and financial, to bear upon the Governments which persecute them.’

Churchill had always urged the Jews to be good citizens, while retaining their faith and culture. His advice to his Manchester Jewish constituents in 1907 was: ‘Be good Jews.’ He explained that he did not believe a Jew could be ‘a good Englishman unless he is a good Jew’. A year later, at the first public meeting he attended with his wife Clementine, a few weeks after their marriage, he told those gathered to open a new wing of the Manchester Jewish Hospital that he was ‘very glad to have the experience of watching the life and work of the Jewish community in England; there was a high sense of the corporate responsibility in the community; there was a great sense of duty as fostered on every possible occasion by their leaders’.

Avoiding ‘too exclusive’ an all-Jewish association was another consistent theme. Churchill welcomed Jews as part of the wider British community, and was impressed by how many accepted that challenge. His friend Rufus Isaacs became (as Lord Reading) both viceroy of India and foreign secretary. But he was worried when Lloyd George wanted to include three Jewish Cabinet ministers among the seven Liberals in his 1918 administration, writing to the prime minister: ‘There is a point about Jews which occurs to me — you must not have too many of them. Three Jews among only seven Liberal Cabinet ministers might I fear give rise to comment.’