In mid-1940, Stern became convinced that the Italians were interested in the establishment of a fascist Jewish state in Palestine.
[4] He conducted negotiations, he thought, with the Italians via an intermediary Moshe Rotstein, and drew up a document that became known as the "Jerusalem Agreement".
[4][41] In exchange for Italy's recognition of, and aid in obtaining, Jewish sovereignty over Palestine, Stern promised that Zionism would come under the aegis of Italian fascism, with Haifa as its base, and the Old City of Jerusalem under Vatican control, except for the Jewish quarter.
[4] In Heller's words, Stern's proposal would "turn the 'Kingdom of Israel' into a satellite of the Axis powers."
[4]
...
Late in 1940, Lehi, having identified a common interest between the intentions of the new German order and Jewish national aspirations, proposed forming an alliance in World War II with
Nazi Germany.
[2] It offered assistance in transferring the Jews of Europe to Palestine, in return for Germany's help in expelling Britain from Mandatory Palestine.[
citation needed] Late in 1940, Lehi representative
Naftali Lubenchik went to
Beirut to meet German official
Werner Otto von Hentig (who also was involved with the
Haavara or Transfer Agreement, which had been transferring German Jews and their funds to Palestine since 1933).[
citation needed] Lubenchik told von Hentig that Lehi had not yet revealed its full power and that they were capable of organizing a whole range of anti-British operations.[
citation needed]
On the assumption that the destruction of Britain was the Germans' top objective, the organization offered cooperation in the following terms. Lehi would support sabotage and espionage operations in the Middle East and in eastern Europe anywhere where they had cells. Germany would recognize an independent Jewish state in Palestine/Eretz Israel, and all Jews leaving their homes in Europe, by their own will or because of government injunctions, could enter Palestine with no restriction of numbers.
Stern also proposed recruiting some 40,000 Jews from occupied Europe to invade Palestine with German support to oust the British.
[2] On 11 January 1941, Vice Admiral Ralf von der Marwitz, the German Naval
attaché in
Turkey, filed a report (the "Ankara document") conveying an offer by Lehi to "actively take part in the war on Germany's side" in return for German support for "the establishment of the historic Jewish state on a national and totalitarian basis, bound by a treaty with the German Reich."
[4][44]
Lehi group - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
A recent Zionist convert, the then world-famous popular biographer Emil Ludwig, was interviewed by a fellow Zionist on a visit to America
and expressed the general attitude of the Zionist movement:
...
"the coming of the Nazis was rather a welcome thing. So many of our German Jews were hovering between two coasts; so many of them were riding the treacherous current between the Scylla of assimilation and the Charybdis of a nodding acquaintance with Jewish things.
Thousands who seemed to be completely lost to Judaism were brought back to the fold by Hitler, and for that I am personally very grateful to him." [3]
...
"Yes, we Revisionists have a great admiration for Hitler. Hitler has saved Germany. Otherwise it would have perished within four years.
And if he had given up his anti-Semitism we would go with him. [2]
...
Zionism in the Age of the Dictators Lenni Brenner 9780985890995 Amazon.com Books