File:Letter from Yusuf Diya al-Khalidi to Theodore Hertzl.jpg

"I flatter myself to think that I need not speak of my feelings towards Your people. As far as the Israelites are concerned [...], I really do regard them as relatives of us Arabs; for us they are cousins; we really do have the same father, Abraham, from whom we are also descended. There are a lot of affinities between the two races; we have almost the same language. Politically, moreover, I am convinced that the Jews and Arabs will do well to support each other if they are to resist the invaders of other races. It is these sentiments that put me at ease to speak frankly to You about the great question that is currently agitating your people.

You are well aware that I am talking about Zionism. The idea in itself is only natural, beautiful and just. Who can dispute the rights of the Jews to Palestine? My God, historically it is Your country! And what a marvellous spectacle it would be if the Jews, so gifted, were once again reconstituted as an independent nation, respected, happy, able to render services to poor humanity in the moral domain as in the past!

Unfortunately, the destinies of nations are not governed solely by these abstract conceptions, however pure, however noble they may be. We must reckon with reality, with established facts, with force, yes with the brutal force of circumstances. But the reality is that Palestine is now an integral part of the Ottoman Empire and, what is more serious, it is inhabited by people other than only Israelites. This reality, these acquired facts, this brutal force of circumstances leave Zionism, geographically, no hope of realisation [...]. Jews certainly possess capital and intelligence. But however great the power of money in this world, one cannot buy millions all at once. To achieve a goal like the one that Zionism must propose, other, more formidable blows are needed, those of cannons and battleships. Gold, ? Is it Russia  ? Or perhaps its ally France  ? Do you think Emperor William will find it worth a few bones from the Pomeranian soldiers? And even the nations best disposed towards the Jews, like the English and the Americans, I do not believe that they will ever agree to go to war against other nations to help the Jews settle in Palestine."

"Je me flatte de penser que je n'ai pas besoin de parler de mes sentiments envers Votre peuple. En ce qui concerne les Israélites [...], je les considère vraiment comme parents de nous autres, Arabes ; pour nous ils sont des cousins ; nous avons vraiment le même père, Abraham, dont nous descendons également. Il existe beaucoup d'affinités entre les deux races, nous avons presque la même langue. Politiquement, d'ailleurs, je suis convaincu que les Juifs et les Arabes feront bien de se soutenir pour pouvoir résister aux envahisseurs des autres races. Ce sont ces sentiments qui me mettent à l'aise pour Vous parler franchement de la grande question qui agite actuellement votre peuple.

Vous Vous doutez bien que je veux parler du Zionisme. L'idée en elle-même n'est que toute naturelle, belle et juste. Qui peut contester les droits des Juifs sur la Palestine ? Mon Dieu, historiquement c'est bien Votre pays ! Et quel spectacle merveilleux ça serait si les Juifs, si doués, étaient de nouveau reconstitués en une nation indépendante, respectée, heureuse, pouvant rendre à la pauvre humanité des services dans le domaine moral comme autrefois !