Ironically, the screenplay for Exodus was written by the unrepentant Communist and member of the "Hollywood Ten," Dalton Trumbo (it was his second film after his "rehabilitation;" Spartacus was the first). It was picketed by the notorious American Nazi George Lincoln Rockwell (yimach shemo vezikhro!), which is referred to in Bob Dylan's Talkin' John Birch Society Paranoid Blues. In other words, when the film came out it was considered a liberal, if not leftist, film.
Even though the Communist world had already long since ended its very brief flirtation with Zionism (so much so that notorious neo-Nazi intellectual Francis Parker Yockey [yimach shemo vezikhro!] advocated a neo-Nazi alliance with the Communist world), I cannot help but suspect that the continued support of Israel by the American Left was conducted on orders from Moscow. The American Communists were never anything but robots carrying out orders from Moscow, after all. But why would Moscow expend all its international resources attacking Zionism and Israel while ordering the US party to continue being pro-Israel? About the only thing I can come up with was that by doing this they would hoodwink the Jewish Left into thinking it was still their friend while their opposition everywhere else would eventually destroy Israel (G-d forbid!). At any rate, the American Left's support for Israel lasted a very long time (Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda entertained Israeli troops in Lebanon in 1982).
Oddly, I myself was totally unaware of any Leftist support (or even phony support) for Israel and Zionism at any time. I was a typical Bible Belt Fundamentalist (and had no idea that there was such a thing as a conservative who opposed Israel) and all the Communist propaganda broadcasts I listened to on my short wave radio were 100% anti-Israel, making no distinction between it and South Africa or Rhodesia. While my eyes have long since been opened, I don't think I'll ever make peace with the situation because it never made any sense!
At any rate, I can't help but wonder what today's liberals feel when they watch the movie--especially the Nazi leading the Arab troops toward the end.
Very interesting and informative post.
“Oddly, I myself was totally unaware of any Leftist support (or even phony support) for Israel and Zionism at any time. I was a typical Bible Belt Fundamentalist (and had no idea that there was such a thing as a conservative who opposed Israel)”
That was my experience as well. Just about everyone I knew who took a position on the Middle East supported Israel. We were always taught to love and support it(which I still do).
“and all the Communist propaganda broadcasts I listened to on my short wave radio were 100% anti-Israel, making no distinction between it and South Africa or Rhodesia.”
Probably because America was pro-Israel.
“While my eyes have long since been opened, I don’t think I’ll ever make peace with the situation because it never made any sense! “
Agreed.
It's not really that ironic.
The early zionists (Herzl for example) were socialists. The kibbutz movement was a socialist movement. Conservative Jews like Adolph Ochs were strongly against Zionism.
The socialist mindset behind the movment is why Trumbo was championing it (and why Paul Newman took on the project I might add). Also, it was why a Democratic President (Truman) and not a Republican who moved to make Israel a nation.
However, as we know positions and beliefs are relative on the left. Once Israel started getting rich they turned against her and now it is the conservatives who have to defend a prosperous nation.
Only in Poland did the Nazis say that if a family harboured Jews, the ENTIRE family would be executed. Yet many were saved.
On November 10, 1941, the death penalty was expanded by Hans Frank to apply to Poles who helped Jews "in any way: by taking them in for the night, giving them a lift in a vehicle of any kind" or "feed[ing] runaway Jews or sell[ing] them foodstuffs."
25% of those in the Vad Yesham are Poles. Don't forget Żegota the Polish Council to Aid Jews. Żegota's express purpose was to aid the country's Jews and find places of safety for them in occupied Poland.
Leon Uris' characterization of Polish conduct in WWII is utterly wrong -- and seems the sum of attitudes of a person looking in. In contrast Szpilman (the Pianist) described better his countrymen's attitude to Jewish Poles