ZIONIST SELECTIVITY – How Ideology Shaped Rescuing European Jews

This video examines how the Zionist leadership between 1933 and 1945 prioritised the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine over broad humanitarian rescue of European Jews. Using archival records, Mandate Commission reports, and internal Jewish Agency documents, we explore how immigration was selectively controlled, deciding who could enter Palestine based on settlement potential, resources, and alignment with Zionist goals.

We highlight the tension between ideology, strategy, and survival, showing how the Zionist focus on nation-building meant many European Jews were left without avenues for refuge in the West or elsewhere. This is not a general story of immigration; it is a critical look at organisational choices, the human consequences of prioritising state formation over mass rescue, and the enduring ethical questions these decisions raise.