1913: Seeds of Conflict

Historical Characters

Albert Antebi

Albert Antebi

Albert Antebi was a Jew from Damascus who relocated to Jerusalem in 1896 to became the head of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. He was an educator, a philanthroper and a go-between the Jewish and Arab communities in Palestine.

FROM THE FILM …

Antebi (French): I remain sympathetic to any Palestinians that helps improve the economic well being of our fellow Jews. Broad Jewish settlement in the land of Israel will only be possible if it is based on close economic and cultural cooperation between Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Antebi (French): Turkey has accorded us legal status. We don’t want to reward them by chasing away their citizens and replacing them with Russian citizens. Have Jewish immigrants submitted to the Ottoman flag? No. They run around the streets with a Zionist flag, singing in Yiddish or Russian.

Antebi (French): Already the people are speaking about how to protect themselves against the Jews. What good is it to arouse the bitterness of our fellow citizens? I predict an inextricable situation of Ottoman anti-Semitism if we do not change our methods.

Antebi (French): In vain we warn the Zionists of the disastrous consequences of their anti-Christian, anti-Muslim and actions.

SOURCE:
Jerusalem 1913: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Amy Dockser Marcus, Viking, Apr 19, 2007