Himmlers’ Telegram to the Mufti of Jerusalem

The National Library in Jerusalem is in possession of Heinrich Himmlers’ telegram to Haj Amin al-Husseini, the ex-Mufti of Jerusalem. The telegram is not dated, but it is thought to have been sent on 2 November, 1943, the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration:

 

TO THE GRAND MUFTI AMIN EL HUSSEINI, BERLIN

FROM ITS BEGINNING THE NATIONAL SOCIALIST MOVEMENT OF GREATER GERMANY  HAS INSCRIBED THE STRUGGLE AGAINST WORLD JEWRY ON ITS BANNER.  THEREFORE IT HAS ALWAYS FOLLOWED WITH SPECIAL SYMPATHY THE STRUGGLE OF THE FREEDOM – LOVING ARABS, FOREMOST IN PALESTINE, AGAINST THE JEWISH INTRUDERS. THE RECOGNITION OF THIS ENEMY AND OUR COMMON STRUGGLE AGAINST HIM FORM THE FIRM FOUNDATION OF THE NATURAL ALLIANCE BETWEEN NATIONAL-SOCIALIST GREATER GERMANY AND THE FREEDOM-LOVING MUSLIMS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.  ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE WRETCHED BALFOUR-DECLARATION I SEND YOU IN THIS SPIRIT MY HEARTFELT GREETINGS AND WISHES FOR THE SUCCESSFUL PURSUIT OF YOUR STRUGGLE UNTIL ITS ASSURED FINAL VICTORY. 

SIGNED HEINRICH HIMMLER

 

According to Dr. Yoel Fishman, Himmler sent the telegram so that the Mufti could read it at a huge rally at the Luftwaffe Hall in Berlin to condemn the Balfour Declaration. Following an excerpt from the Nazi radio broadcast:

We are in the Luftwaffe building in Berlin, where Arab leaders are gathered to protest against the Balfour Declaration.  The hall is festooned with Arab flags and poster portraits of Arab patriots.  Arabs and Muslims from every land pour into the hall.  Among them are Moroccans, Palestinians, Lebanese, Yemenites, men from the Hedjaz, Indians, Iranians and Moslem representatives from all over Europe.  Among the latter are a great many Germans friendly to the Arabs, high government officials, civilian and military, one of the S.S. chiefs, representatives of foreign embassies and at their head, representatives of the Japanese Embassy.  The audience runs into hundreds, and here now I see the Mufti of Jerusalem making his way into the hall.  He is shaking hands with a number of notables and mounts the steps to the stage to deliver his address.

 

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