In Tsarist Russia, Tsar Ivan IV had decreed that Jews should not enter the country. The Khmilnitsky Cossack bandits, who opposed the Polish aristocracy, carried out massacres of Jews living in Poland and Ukraine, killing 100,000 people. After the partition of Poland, the fate of the millions of Jews who had lived in Poland from the more secular Catholic Poland to the more hostile Orthodox country of Russia was even more tragic and bleak than before.

In 9035, the Russian government announced the creation of "palisade districts" (Pale) in 16 provinces in the west, from Lithuania to Ukraine, and 10 provinces in Poland. This area was basically the spoils of the three Russian partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century. Under the rules of the Russian Empire, Jews were forbidden to settle outside the "fenced areas" except for Jewish children with musical or artistic talents and their parents (an exception that led to a disproportionately high number of Jews devoted to cultural and artistic causes).

Since then, some 5 million impoverished Russian Jews have been imprisoned like cattle on the land, in addition to about 310,000 Jews living secretly outside the "fenced areas" and at risk of deportation if discovered. St. Petersburg, the capital of Russia, was closed to Jews, and the royal resort area of southern Crimea, from Sevastopol to Feodosia, was never open to Jews. Jews were restricted from traveling, were not allowed to own land, and were subject to double taxes. With the advent of the modern financial system, the traditional business of credit and money was severely disrupted, and many urban Jews were reduced to the poor.

As recently as 9071, there was a mass persecution of Jews in Odessa, southern Russia. Jews were beaten in the streets, Jewish shops looted, and Jewish property destroyed. This massive wave of anti-Semitic massacres brought great suffering and fear to the Jews of Russia and Eastern Europe, who were forced to embark on another wave of great migration.

In Western Europe, the persecution of Jews by the "civilized nations" had been extinguished by the Enlightenment and liberal movements, but when European nationalism reached its peak in the second half of the century with the War of the Unification of Italy and the War of German Unification (the process of which was delayed because of Hayashi-cheol, which was not a good thing for the Jews), and replaced religion as the main theme of European life, anti-Semitism began to re-emerge in a frightening way.

As a Jew, Nathan has an innate sensitivity to changes in the external environment, and now he has a premonition that another unprecedented disaster for the Jewish nation is about to begin.

"Did you foresee something? Forest? Nathan regained his usual composure and asked Hayashi Yizhe, "Or did you learn something unknown to you?" ”

"Isn't the tragedy that happened in Odessa last year very revealing? You should already know the details. "Russia has already raised a butcher's knife against the Jewish people, and the tragedy in Odessa is just the beginning." ”

"I have a hunch of that too." Nathan sighed, "So, at this family meeting, I was strongly opposed to investing in Russia and opening up the East. ”

"Oh? Now among your family, someone is suggesting to develop in Russia? Lin Yizhe was shocked and immediately asked.

"Yes." Nathan had already regarded Lin Yizhe as his own at this time, and told him the main content of this family meeting without any worries, "You know, the Rothchild family has branches in various European countries, but there is not even an office in Russia. This time, a member of the family suggested negotiating with the Russians to set up an office in Russia to finance Russia's expansion to the East. ”

"The Russians are killing their compatriots, and they are proposing to finance the Russian government?" Lin Yizhe seemed to understand that this was a rather helpless response from the Jewish "Red Shield" family to the resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe, and couldn't help but sneer, "What kind of logic is this?" ”

"It sounds a bit incredible, but it's actually a helpless choice." Nathan smiled bitterly, "Their idea is to give the Russian government a huge amount of money in exchange for a guarantee that the Russian government will no longer persecute our people. ”

"It's a move to cut off the meat to feed the tigers, and it may be able to buy peace for the time being, but it's not a long-term solution." Lin Yizhe said, "There will always be a time when the meat will be eaten, and the tiger's desire to eat people cannot disappear because of a little bit of meat." ”

"I think the same as you." Nathan nodded, "So at this family meeting, I am categorically opposed to funding the Russians in any way. The meeting ended unhappily. ”

"We had hoped that liberators like Napoleon would liberate us, and Napoleon did abolish the segregation system and promised to return Jerusalem to the Jewish people, but he was ultimately unable to fulfill his promise because he failed to conquer Palestine." "And after the fall of Napoleon, there was a wave of restoration in Europe, and discrimination and persecution against our people began in different forms. Russia is one of the most vicious of our enemies. And now, we don't have a protector like Napoleon. ”

"I have always been skeptical of the search for a protector to liberate the Jewish people." Lin Yizhe shook his head and said, "I think that the Jewish people should rely on their own efforts to devote themselves to the struggle to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine and restore the Jewish state that was destroyed by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago." ”

Hearing Lin Yizhe's words, Nathan's father and daughter quickly exchanged glances.

"I am willing to help the Jewish people realize this dream and dedicate all my strength." Lin Yizhe continued. "If I could, I would teach my children and grandchildren to continue to give all their strength."

"I want to know, dear Lin, why did you go out of your way to help us like this?" Nathan asked.

"Because we have a common enemy." Lin Yizhe replied without hesitation, "For the Qianguo, Russia is also the most ferocious enemy. After a pause, Lin Yizhe continued: "Moreover, since you can realize my dream of becoming a strong country, I am naturally obliged to realize your dream of a homeland, this is a noble business, isn't it?" ”

"Yes, it's a noble business." Nathan looked straight into Lin Yizhe's eyes, "I have asked myself more than once, where is the way out for the Jewish people? How can anti-Semitism be completely and effectively eradicated? I've been plagued by these questions for years. Today, I finally understand that the problem facing the Jewish people is neither a social nor a religious problem, but a national problem. The fundamental salvation of the Jewish people is the establishment of a state of their own. ”

――――Dividing Line――――

Collect! Ask for recommendations! Click!

http://www.qidian.com

Starting Point Chinese www.qidian.com welcome book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest and most popular serialized works are all original at Starting Point!