Letter to the Jewish Nation
from the French Commander-in-Chief
Buonaparte
(translated from theOriginal, 1799)
General Headquarters, Jerusalem 1st Floreal, April20th, 1799,
in the year of 7 of the French Republic
BUONAPARTE, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMIES OF THEFRENCH REPUBLIC IN AFRICA AND ASIA, TO THE RIGHTFUL HEIRS OF PALESTINE.
Israelites, unique nation, whom, in thousands of years,lust of conquest and tyranny have been able to be deprived of their ancestrallands, but not of name and national existence!
Attentive and impartial observers of the destinies ofnations, even though not endowed with the gifts of seers like Isaiah and Joel,have long since also felt what these, with beautiful and uplifting faith, haveforetold when they saw the approaching destruction of their kingdom andfatherland: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion withsongs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladnessand sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35,10)
Arise then, with gladness, ye exiled! A war unexampledIn the annals of history, waged in self-defense by a nation whose hereditarylands were regarded by its enemies as plunder to be divided, arbitrarily and attheir convenience, by a stroke of the pen of Cabinets, avenges its own shame andthe shame of the remotest nations, long forgotten under the yoke of slavery, andalso, the almost two-thousand-year-old ignominy put upon you; and, while timeand circumstances would seem to be least favourable to a restatement of yourclaims or even to their expression ,and indeed to be compelling their completabandonment, it offers to you at this very time, and contrary to allexpectations, Israel's patrimony!
The young army with which Providence has sent me hither,let by justice and accompanied by victory, has made Jerusalem my headquartersand will, within a few days, transfer them to Damascus, a proximity which is nolonger terrifying to David's city.
Rightful heirs of Palestine!
The great nation which does not trade in men andcountries as did those which sold your ancestors unto all people (Joel,4,6)herewith calls on you not indeed to conquer your patrimony;nay, only to takeover that which has been conquered and, with that nation's warranty and support,to remain master of it to maintain it against all comers.
Arise! Show that the former overwhelming might of youroppressors has but repressed the courage of the descendants of those heroes whoalliance of brothers would have done honour even to Sparta and Rome (Maccabees12, 15) but that the two thousand years of treatment as slaves have notsucceeded in stifling it.
Hasten!, Now is the moment, which may not return forthousands of years, to claim the restoration of civic rights among thepopulation of the universe which had been shamefully withheld from you forthousands of years, your political existence as a nation among the nations, andthe unlimited natural right to worship Jehovah in accordance with your faith,publicly and most probably forever (Joel 4,20).
Source: Napoleonic Wargaming Society Inc.