October 31

31 October – Destiny’s Date? (Part 2)

31 October – Destiny’s Date? (Part 2)

World War One & the German-Turkish alliance  When War broke out in August 1914 Germany and Ottoman Turkey had already entered into a secret agreement. Britain was now reluctantly forced into conflict against the Turks. The area of greatest strategic and military importance was the Suez Canal. Everything needed to be done to preserve the link to the eastern empire. Indeed already at that stage strategists were looking to the post-War period, and what would be best for Britain and this link. One Jewish parliamentarian, Herbert Samuel proposed in 1914-5 that Britain should take control over ‘Palestine’ and permit the establishment there of a Jewish national entity. From March 1915 a two-fold movement began which climaxed on 31 October 1917. The first was military, and began on the shores of Gallipoli. This campaign ended in failure, and resulted in Turkey planning for the capture of the Suez Canal. Britain’s goal was to protect the Canal, and the most effective method was by creating a buffer zone up to the Sinai-Palestine border. The second movement was political, and resulted from a Russian demand in March 1915 that following victory at Gallipoli and once Constantinople fell, then Russia would gain the region […]

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31 October – Destiny’s Date? (Part 1)

31 October – Destiny’s Date? (Part 1)

Jewish people recognise the 9th day of Av as of great significance, the day on which both of the Jewish temples were destroyed, as well as other events in their history. But there is also another day on which a number of key historical events occurred which impacted the Jewish people – in the modern period. That day is 31 October. Most Australians will immediately think of the charge of the Light Horse at Beersheba in 1917 on that day. This was my initial focus when taking groups down to Beersheba on the ‘In Step with Allenby and the Light Horse’ tours. Then in the early 1990’s while researching in the National Archives in London I read through the Minutes of the British War Cabinet for 31 October 1917 and discovered that the decision for establishing a Jewish national home in Palestine (known as the Balfour Declaration) was also made on that very same day. That indeed was a revelation. But wait – there is more. A German connection – 31 October 1517 On 31 October 1517 Martin Luther challenged the Roman Catholic Church, and effectively triggered off the Protestant Reformation. Despite Luther’s negative attitude towards the Jewish people, as […]

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