A conversation with Professor Jehuda Reinharz, co-author of 'Chaim Weizmann: A Biography'

Thursday, 10 October , 2024 • 7 PM Israel Time |12 PM EST 

“Without Chaim Weizmann, there would have been no Jewish state,” says Professor Jehuda Reinharz, co-author of “Chaim Weizmann: A Biography.” Reinharz discussed the book in a one-on-one interview with Jerusalem Post Breaking News Editor Jacob Laznik.

Reinharz, who co-authored the book with Professor Motti Golani of Tel Aviv University and who is currently President and CEO of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, says that Weizmann, though often overlooked, played an instrumental role in securing the Balfour Declaration, which was pivotal in the establishment of Israel. Despite lacking formal political power, Weizmann had a unique ability to influence British and American leaders. “He’s one of the rare incidents in history where an individual without power, without land, without a language, without people behind him, without even the Zionist organization fully behind him is able to persuade leaders, first of all, of Great Britain to issue a letter, a letter that eventually became known as the Balfour Declaration,” says Reinharz. 

Weizmann was a chemist and contributed significantly to the British war effort in World War I with his invention of synthetic acetone. When mixed with cordite, synthetic acetone makes guns smokeless, which was very important in preventing the discovery of British guns by the enemy.  

Reinharz also points out Weizmann’s vision for a Jewish state coexisting peacefully with an Arab state and his liberal Zionist ideals, which stressed justice and equality for all inhabitants of Israel.

The interview also explores Reinharzs’ broader research on antisemitism in contemporary Germany and Europe, where letters to the Israeli embassy reveal deep-seated hatred among intellectuals and the middle class. The conversation concludes with a brief overview of his other research topics and future projects.