The Doctrine of Beitar

47 -

And after Zionism has been related in recent years in the revolutionary sense: from the idea of the Hebrew state, from the effort to save, once and for all, millions of suffering and persecuted Jews and to establish for them a state with all vigor, to solve the Jewish question in its full scope — an aspiration was created to give only the "chosen Jew" the opportunity to enjoy the climate of the Land of Israel and to speak Hebrew. This flawed perception of Zionism has spread in our Hebrew youth organizations. They distort a distorted and incorrect Ahad Ha'amism. Ahad Ha'am himself accepted before his own eyes and before others and argued with the distorters of his doctrine, for he himself always aspired to a Hebrew majority in the Land of Israel and wrote about it in his article "A Ladder of Degrees." And they also demand the doctrine of Martin Buber — a typical principled spirit, small of thought of the third degree, possessing a perception of distorted particles and only one measure of every idea, which are also not his own, and are devoid of any use. They teach this youth to look at Zionism with every aspiration, that it is good that a fiery aspiration for the "type" [elite] should seem to the world — like the example of a landlady from many years ago who, when defending [her] jam, would say: "May we be provided for and not have to use it, God forbid!". Brit Trumpeldor teaches the youth to believe in the great providences of Herzl and Nordau: a state, mass immigration, a solution to the Jewish question in its political, material, and spiritual sovereignty.

The second change is distinguished by the fact that Brit Trumpeldor wants to teach the youth the craft of self-defense. That this is a useful craft — Jews are not divided on this today; however, to our great sorrow, Jews also mostly lack logic. They assume that this is a strange craft, which is an exception to all other regular crafts: the other crafts must be learned, but this one comes to a person by itself, out of enthusiasm, out of heroism and a brave readiness to die. A tithe of his childhood! Not in the mistake of adults: on the contrary, the task is not to die, and especially not to let other Jews die or even suffer. And nothing comes by itself and enthusiasm will not help here at all. This is a craft like all other crafts, only infinitely more complicated and more responsible. Therefore one must learn it, for a long time, with deliberation. And for now, one must learn it and not be ashamed of learning this craft, but rather learn it with pride and quietly, with sharp passion — otherwise one cannot master it.