us to consider some alternative or some compromise.
The most sensible statement of a compromise I heard among the Zionists
was suggested to me by Dr. Weizmann, who is a man not only highly
intelligent but ardent and sympathetic. And the phrase he used
gives the key to my own rough conception of a possible solution,
though he himself would probably, not accept that solution.

Dr. Weizmann suggested, if I understood him rightly, that he did
not think Palestine could be a single and simple national territory
quite in the sense of France; but he did not see why it should not
be a commonwealth of cantons after the manner of Switzerland.
Some of these could be Jewish cantons, others Arab cantons,
and so on according to the type of population. This is in itself
more reasonable than much that is suggested on the same side;
but the point of it for my own purpose is more particular.
This idea, whether it correctly represents Dr. Weizmann's meaning
or no, clearly involves the abandonment of the solidarity
of Palestine, and tolerates the idea of groups of Jews being
separated from each other by populations of a different type.
Now if once this notion be considered admissible, it seems to me
capable of considerable extension. It seems possible that there
might be not only Jewish cantons in Palestine but Jewish cantons
outside Palestine, Jewish colonies in suitable and selected
places in adjacent parts or in many other parts of the world.
They might be affiliated to some official centre in Palestine,
or even in Jerusalem, where there would naturally be at least some
great religious headquarters of the scattered race and religion.
The nature of that religious centre it must be for Jews to decide;
but I think if I were a Jew I would build the Temple without
bothering about the site of the Temple. That they should
have the old site, of course, is not to be thought of;
it would raise a Holy War from Morocco to the marches of China.
But seeing that some of the greatest of the deeds of Israel were done,
and some of the most glorious of the songs of Israel sung,
when their only temple was a box carried about in the desert,
I cannot think that the mere moving of the situation of the place
of sacrifice need even mean so much to that historic tradition
as it would to many others. That the Jews should have some high
place of dignity and ritual in Palestine, such as a great building
like the Mosque of Omar, is certainly right and reasonab