Jewry

Ancient times

Tacitus says that the Jews "are said to have been refugees from the island of Crete who settled in the remotest corner of Libya in the days when, according to the story, Saturn was driven from his throne by the aggression of Jupiter." Their name was to stem from mount Ida in Crete, the inhabitants of the lands being called "Idaei". Tacitus then recounts a story of the Jews similar to the one in the Torah, specifically the book of Exodus. Tacitus writes about their practice to sacrifice rams, prohibition on eating pork, ritual of fasting, the eating of unleavened bread and idleness on the seventh day and year, as well as circumcision. About their behavior he says: "The other practices of the Jews are sinister and revolting, and have entrenched themselves by their very wickedness. Wretches of the most abandoned kind who had no use for the religion of their fathers took to contributing dues and free-will offerings to swell the Jewish exchequer; and other reasons for their increasing wealth way be found in their stubborn loyalty and ready benevolence towards brother Jews. But the rest of the world they confront with the hatred reserved for enemies. They will not feed or intermarry with gentiles. Though a most lascivious people, the Jews avoid sexual intercourse with women of alien race. Among themselves nothing is barred."

The Balfour Declaration

In 1904, Chaim Weizmann moved to England, even though he did not speak English. He said he chose England, because it treated Jews as equals and it was "likely to show genuine sympathy for a movement [Zionism] like ours." There he was received by a left-wing Jew in London. Soon, he moved to Manchester where was received by a fellow Zionist Jew, Joseph Massel, who introduced him to another Zionist Jew, Charles Dreyfus, the chairman of the Zionist group in Manchester, a member of the Manchester Town Council and chairman of the Conservative party in Manchester. Dreyfus arranged a meeting for Weizmann with Arthur James Balfour, the former prime minister of Great Britain (who had just resigned and was campaigning in Manchester). Weizmann was apparently the first Jew that Balfour met that was vehemently opposed to a Jewish homeland in Uganda (as was at that time debated) and insisted it be established in Palestine instead. Weizmann claims that this meeting taught him, that "if someone had been found to present the case of Palestine to the British authorities, it would not have been difficult to enlist their sympathies and perhaps, in certain circumstances, their active support.“ Via the work of his wife, Weizmann established contact with C.P. Scott, the editor of the Manchester Guardian, in November of 1914. According to Weizmann it was well known that Scott had sympathy with "Jewish ideals". They had talks and written exchanges and Weizmann argued that the Jews settled in Palestine would form "a very effective guard for the Suez Canal". Scott decided to arrange a meeting for Weizmann with Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George and Herbert Samuel, a member of the current government.