Here is part two of my interview with Jeremy Havardi, author of  The Greatest Briton: Essays on Winston Churchill’s Life and Political Philosophy, which you can buy now.

‘Turning to Jewish issues, Churchill has been accused of antisemitism. Is this true?

In general, Churchill had a genial attitude towards Jewish people and Jewish causes throughout his life. He admired the Old Testament and its Jewish ethical values, which he viewed as the foundation of Western civilisation. He also recognised the many contributions made by British Jews to their country. More to the point, he condemned antisemitism forcefully throughout his life, reflecting his strong aversion to tyranny in all its forms.

There was one occasion when he did pander to antisemitic sentiment and that was in 1920. He wrote a newspaper article in which he condemned ‘international Jews’ who he claimed were behind the Bolshevik movement. He loathed this movement with all his might and after noting that many of the most important Bolsheviks were Jews, called its leaders ‘these semitic conspirators.’ This was paranoid language beloved of today’s far right (and far left). But while heaping scorn on Jewish ultra leftists, he praised Jews in the same article as ‘most formidable and the most remarkable race which has ever appeared in the world.’

Is it true that Churchill neglected Europe’s Jews during the Second World War?

Before answering this directly, we need to ask what the anti fascist governments of the world could have done to rescue Jews from the clutches of an implacable dictator intent on destroying them. Their room for manoeuvre was somewhat limited, even if it also true that the Allied governments did not prioritise Jewish suffering for various reasons.

But as soon as Churchill received reports of the Nazis’ mass killings, he vociferously condemned what he called a ‘satanic policy’. When Anglo-Jewry organized a huge demonstration at the Albert Hall to condemn the mass extermination of European Jewry, Churchill sent a message protesting ‘against Nazi atrocities inflicted on the Jews.’ He also endorsed a policy of retribution in which it was made clear that the perpetrators of the Holocaust would face justice as soon as the war was over. This led to the Moscow Declaration of 1943 in which the Allies declared that they would pursue ‘the ranks of the guilty to the uttermost ends of the earth.’ Churchill could never have been indifferent to tyranny.

Was this just words for words sake?

No, he offered much more than words of condemnation and there were some examples of direct intervention which I cite in the book. In 1942 Churchill approved a request from the Jewish Agency to allow 4,500 Bulgarian Jews (mainly children) to enter Palestine. Sadly this came to the attention of the Germans and the Bulgarian government closed its border with Turkey.

Another notable example is his instruction for the RAF to bomb Auschwitz in 1944 following a request from the Jewish Agency. It was mulled over and passed to the Americans who then rejected it on logistical grounds. Though unsuccessful in these cases, Churchill was at least prepared to act for what he saw as a moral cause.

On another occasion, he insisted to the Spanish Ambassador to Britain that his country open its border with France to fleeing Jewish refugees, a request that was later granted. He also issued a warning to Romania’s leader, Ion Antonescu, that he would be held to account after the war unless he reined in the Iron Guard who were carrying out atrocities against the country’s Jews. These cases show very clearly that Churchill was prepared to intervene when he could to alleviate the suffering of Europe’s Jews.

What was Churchill’s attitude towards Zionism?

He supported Zionism and Jewish statehood for most of his political career, even if it was largely a peripheral concern. He recognised that Jews had a legitimate claim to the Holy Land based on their long standing connection to the territory and its centrality in Jewish religious life. He would often defend Zionism in the most romantic terms, particularly in Parliament where he had to face down his many Arabist detractors.

In the 1920s, as Colonial Secretary, he made a number of decisions that would prove crucial to the future of the Middle East, including the formation of a unitary Iraqi state. Some of his decisions, such as cutting off three quarters of mandate Palestine to form Transjordan, were not welcomed by Zionist leaders and he received criticism from some quarters. Nonetheless he continued to champion Jewish statehood before and after 1948. Indeed he even warmed to the idea of Israel joining the British Commonwealth in the 1950s. He also saw Israel as a useful strategic ally in the Cold War and supported their stance against Nasser during the 1956 Suez campaign.

Did he ever meet an Israeli Prime Minister?

Yes, towards the end of his life, he met David Ben-Gurion, a man he much admired (the admiration was mutual). Churchill described Ben-Gurion as ‘a brave leader of a great nation.’ Many years earlier, he had struck up a friendship with Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s first President.

Is it true that Churchill regarded Moses as the Greatest Jew?

He did. In one of his books called Thoughts and Adventures he wrote an admiring essay on the great Jewish lawgiver and paid tribute to Judaism’s ethical monotheism. When he met Ben-Gurion in 1961, the two men exchanged their ideas on who was the greatest Jew. Churchill nominated Moses, Ben-Gurion Jesus.

Are you writing another book?

I am currently working on a study of British war films and how they reflect changing perceptions of English national identity. It should hopefully be finished by the end of this year. I am afraid that I am not quite as prolific as you just yet!

What do you do when you aren’t writing books?

I am a freelance journalist and publish articles in the Jewish News and the religious affairs section of the Guardian. I also teach history and philosophy at an independent school and when time allows, enjoy amateur dramatics, table tennis, philately and radio broadcasting.

Which radio show do you present?

It is called jnetradio.com, an internet radio show with a Jewish point of view. I help to present the politics show on a Thursday evening (9pm to midnight) with my fellow presenters, Tony Honickberg, Richard Millett and Eliot Heilpern. It is a lot of fun and I urge all your readers to tune in. The web address is www.jnetradio.com and listeners should click on ‘Listen Live.’

You can visit Jeremy Havardi’s website here.

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