nehru and the era of deterioration, 1947–1964 185Jewish Palestine as part of the Asian continent and as a member of the
family of nations of Asia.”^14 The conference provided an opportunity for
the yishuv to establish formal and, at times, fi rst contacts with various
Asian persons who were to become the future leaders of their respective
countries. While personal contacts were important and useful, there
were doubts if sympathetic statements could be converted into po liti cal
support for Zionism. In these interactions
we met outspoken sympathy for our case.... It need not be pointed
out... that this sympathy may be considered, in most cases, a matter
of politeness and conversational manners and that even in cases
where it has been sincere and real, it need not commit not only the
Government of the countries concerned, but even the personalities
themselves who expressed it, in a po liti cal sense.^15Bergmann reminded the conference that Jews were an
old Asian people... settling down in our old- new homeland.... This
lesson Eu rope was unable to teach us. We do not want to be ungrate-
ful to Eu rope. We have learned many important lessons there. We
learned to appreciate logical reasoning and methodical thinking....
But one thing we could not learn in Eu rope: the mutual cooperation
of groups of men belonging to diff erent races and creeds.He hoped that Palestine, “notwithstanding present diffi culties, will not
go the Eu ro pe an way of ‘solving,’ so to speak, problems by dispossessing
population.”^16 In a radio broadcast, Ya’acov Shimoni referred to the
“hopes of an ancient people driven from his native Asiatic country 1,800
years ago.”^17
Bergmann’s speech at the conference, however, was challenged by the
Arabs. While the observer from Arab League spoke of the Jewish com-
munity in Palestine taking advantage of the “British bayonets,” an Egyp-
tian delegate rejected the idea that “British rule [was] to be replaced by
that of Eu ro pe an Zionists.” A drama quickly unfolded. According to the
report prepared by the Jewish delegation, “Dr. Bergmann, quite reason-
ably, asked for the fl oor to exercise his right of rebuttal, but Nehru, who
was presiding, refused his request and after a brief, angry exchange with
[Nehru],^18 Dr. Bergmann and his delegation walked out. Some of the
Indian delegates hurried after them and persuaded them to return.”^19