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Articles
Sara Reguer: A Conversation on Churchill and the Middle East, 1919-1922
- By SARA REGUER
- | February 7, 2022
- Category: Churchill and the East Resources
Note to Readers
Dr. Reguer’s discussion is with Richard Cohen of the Jewish Historical Society of England, whose kind courtesy brings us this video. The key questions arise from her 2021 book, Winston S. Churchill and the Shapng of the Middle East, 1919-1922. Before listening to her remarks, readers may wish to read our review of her book. Also of value are Ronald Cohen, “Churchill, the Jews and Israel,” Part 1 and Part 2. A transcript of Churchill’s speech of 4 July 1922, mentioned prominently by Dr. Reguer, is available to readers by email.
Questions for Dr. Reguer: a brief synopsis
1) In the cause of Economy
Q: Churchill’s main challenge as Secretary of State the Colonies (1921-22) was the colossal cost of Britain’s international responsibilities. The Middle East was one of the greatest drains on the Exchequer. How successful was he in economizing?
Dr. Reguer: The Middle East was his greatest problem. Three different government departments were involved, and arguing with each other. Churchill persuaded Prime Minister Lloyd George to create a new Middle East Department under the Colonial Office. In March 1921, Churchill convened a conference at Cairo to settle the new states and boundaries. There he faced the competing interests of Britain in its League of Nations Mandates of Iraq and Palestine (including Trans-Jordan); French claims of primacy in Syria and Lebanon; and the wartime Sykes-Picot Agreement for administering captured territories. Sykes-Picot was a formal agreement, so he had to give attention to French side of it, if not Czarist Russian claims for the Dardanelles and Constantinople.
Churchill succeeded in lowering military expenses through the use of air power and local gendarmes, rather than the British Army. For the administrative side, he looked to a descendant of the Prophet, the Grand Emir and Sharif of Mecca, and his sons, Faisal and Abdullah. Here matters became complicated…
2) Trans-Jordan and Palestine
Q: Whose idea was it to carve Trans-Jordan out of Palestine? Was it a good idea? How did it affect the Zionist movement in the Mandate of Palestine?
Dr. Reguer: Research doesn’t provide a definite answer, but it was likely one of Churchill’s advisors, T.E. Lawrence or Gertrude Bell. France, which demanded influence over Syria, had ejected Faisal and his forces from Damascus. Angered over their treatment of his brother, Abdullah vowed to retake Syria. Churchill persuaded Abdullah to stay in Jordan and keep the peace there, at least “temporarily.” Abdullah agreed, provided no Zionists were allowed in Jordan. It is difficult to say in retrospect whether this was a good move, but at the time, it kept the peace. Abdullah’s descendant still reigns in Amman. Nor was Jordan formally separated from Palestine in 1921. The Mandate applied to both territories, and the High Commissioner was still supreme.
3) Churchill turns the tide
How crucial was Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons on 4 July 1922?
Dr. Reguer: It was absolutely crucial. Churchill confronted those wishing to back away from the wartime Balfour Declaration for a postwar Jewish homeland. His speech saved it: Parliament approved a White Paper enabling the League of Nations to approve the Mandate document. That included the Balfour Declaration, so in that sense his role was vital. He also convinced Chaim Weizmann, despite his reservations over parts of it, to let the White Paper pass. There is no written material on this, but it can be inferred from the archival material.
Equally he defended the plans of Pinhas Rutenberg for a hydro-electric plant bringing electrical power to both sides of the River Jordan. Rutenberg, incidentally, was one of the few Jews interested in supplying hydro-power to the Jordan side of the river. Rutenberg’s Hydro-Electric Power House was one of the most important accomplishments for the British Mandate of Palestine. It did not open until 1932, after Churchill had left office, but it was a signal success, and it was not easy to dam the Jordan River.
4) Churchill and Israel
How important was Churchill in the development of a viable Jewish state? Could anyone else have played such a role?
Dr. Reguer: His importance was critical, in that he gave the Balfour Declaration new life and international recognition. This was absolutely essential in the development of Israel.
“Could anyone else have done it? I don’t think so—I’m a Churchill fan. I think he was masterful in how he could digest so much material, put it together and push it past resistance inside and outside government. This has not received much attention, but the Bolsheviks were making serious efforts to influence revolt and revolution, in Turkey particularly. After reviewing all the material in the National Archives, Public Records Office, Cambridge and Oxford and the Churchill Archives, I cannot think of anyone else who might have done it. I remember my discussions with Martin Gilbert, who kept saying to me: ‘He was phenomenal. You have to write as if he was phenomenal.’ And he was.”
Audience questions…
If you could meet Churchill today, what would you ask him?
Did the gravitational pull of Palestine make it difficult for you to give equal time to Iraq?
How do you respond to the calls to pull down his statues?
We finally asked Dr. Reguer how she thought Churchill might view the Middle East today. Would he draw comfort from the Abraham Accords? Or would he be alarmed at the threats emanating from or supported by Iran? She responded in words we found congenial: “The master politician would be able to handle all of that. Politically he was incredibly savvy.”
Author and sponsor
Dr. Reguer is Professor of Judaic Studies at Brooklyn College. Her book, Winston S. Churchill and the Shaping of the Middle East, 1919-1922, was reviewed by William John Shepherd. Her next book, Onto Center Stage: The Biblical Woman, is based on her course, “The Jewish Woman.”
The Jewish Historical Society of England is the oldest historical and learned organization of its kind in Europe. It was founded in 1893 by the Anglo-Jewish scholars and communal leaders. Past presidents have included Lucien Wolf, F.D. Mocatta, Israel Zangwill, Cecil Roth and Sir Isaiah Berlin. Based in London, the JHS has branches in Essex, Leeds, Liverpool, Hertfordshire and Middlesex, Sussex and Jerusalem. Our thanks to Richard Cohen of the JHS Essex Branch for organizing this event and affording us a copy of the audio.