Il Patriarcato latino di Gerusalemme, la Santa Sede e il sionismo di fronte alla prima traduzione dei Protocolli dei savi di Sion in lingua araba (1925-1926)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to investigate the spread into British Palestine of one of the most virulent Anti-Semitic pamphlets: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. To this end, this essay focuses on both local and global issues, bringing to light some aspects of the life and organization of the Latin community in Jerusalem during the early years of the British mandate. On the 5th of January 1926 the official magazine of the Latin Patriarchate, the «Raqib Seyon», published a review of the Arab translation of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, underlining that this book was «worthy to be read by all the Arabs» because it «shows the bad intentions of the Zionists». The Zionist leaders tried to secure a denial from the Holy See and a Vatican declaration denouncing the falsity of The Protocols. The whole issue was directly manged by the World Zionist Organization which establish many channels of communication with the Vatican. The Jewish American association also entered into this controversy, asking that the Vatican distance itself from the review. Despite this strong campaign, the Catholic press remained silent, and the Latin Patriarchate decided to close the «Raqib Seyon» without any explanation.