All Jews to Madagascar!

The idea of transforming Madagascar, a huge island with a tropical climate, into the new Jewish homeland was, for a while, pondered by the Nazi hierarchy near 1940. Yet , as many ideas and projects cherished by the Nazis, it was not something new. Already some far-right Polish politicians had proposed such an agreement to France in 1937 when Marianne controlled the huge island. Also the German nationalist Paul de Lagarde, who wanted the assimilation of Jews, had imagined such a possibility: it seems there is also a Tradition among some Malgassy tribes that they are descendants from some Jewish settlers.

I wonder what would have happened if this plan by Poland had really succeeded: the Nazis would probably just have ousted the last Jews from Germany who would have immediately found a safe haven. Besides, no attack from neighbouring countries, very likely, since Madagscar is surrounded by miles of sea. But who knows….it could be the subject of an alternate history novel…..

Anyway, let us remember that not all Zionists were in favour of the Jews resettling in Israel: Herzl himself had also considered Argentina as well as Uganda. I think that a Jewish homeland in Uganda would have met with a tragic fate. Patagonia? That could be the object of a new post…..