Final_Judgment

504 Quid Pro Quo? [407]
Jewish community in China for centuries, but, in more recent years—prior
to World War II—many European Jews sought refuge in China in the
aftermath of Hitler's rise to power in Germany and his expansion of
German military might throughout Europe.
Jewish writer, S. M. Perlmann, writing in his History of the Jews in
China, summarizes it well: "To be fair with this old and cultured Chinese
nation, [it must be said] that Jews in China have never had to complain
about intolerance; they were never under exceptional laws; they were never
persecuted or despised because of their religion. They always enjoyed the
same rights as the Chinese people."' 1006
BEN-GURION'S DREAM . . .
It is thus no wonder then that upon the founding of the state of Israel,
David Ben-Gurion, the grand old man of Zionism, was eager to establish
relations with the newly-established communist government in
Peking—then still consolidating its power after the struggles of the post-
World War II period. According to Israeli writer Uri Dan, it was "the
dream" 1007 of Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, to forge ties with
the Chinese and to "bring two of the world's most ancient peoples
together."' 1008
According to Ben-Gurion's biographer, Dan Kurzman, Ben-Gurion,
"defying American pressure" 1009 had recognized the new communist
regime, but it was "a heavy blow" 1010 when Peking did not recognize
Israel in return.
Ben-Gurion, notes Kurzman, had "delved into Chinese history and
culture and even studied Buddhist thought. China, he was convinced, would
inevitably evolve into the greatest power on earth, and its support would be
invaluable. The Chinese leaders were militant Communists, yes, but the best
way to moderate them, Ben-Gurion felt, was to talk and trade with them,
not force them into snarling isolation. David Hacohen, the Israeli envoy to
Burma, had actually met in Rangoon with Chinese Premier Chou En-lai,
who hinted at diplomatic and economic ties." 1011
Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, an Israeli historian who has examined Israel's
ties with the Third World notes that: "The government of Israel, then just
nineteen months old, was among the first to recognize the People's
Republic of China. In January 1950 Israel was still on speaking terms with
the Soviet Union, and nominally nonaligned. As the decade wore on, it was
the Chinese who became interested in developing relations.
"By that time, however," says Beit-Hallahmi, "Israeli had clearly
joined the U.S. camp. Chinese overtures seeking official diplomatic
relations were rebuffed in 1954 and again in 1955; Israel clearly did not
want to flout the wishes of the United States." 1012
Although the Chinese had, by 1955, aligned themselves with Arab
leader Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, 1013 and still never publicly recognized