"Do Not Touch the Transfer!" - A Protest Poster Against the "Haavara Agreement" Signed Between the Nazi Authorities ...

"Do Not Touch the Transfer!" - A Protest Poster Against the "Haavara Agreement" Signed Between the Nazi Authorities and the Jewish Agency

"Do Not Touch the Transfer!" - "The Land of Israel is the Only Hope for German Jews, and the Transfer Serves as Their Only and Final Lifeline". A powerful poster against those opposing the Haavara Agreement, which served as the first and crucial means of rescue for German Jews from Nazi persecution. Printed by Ha'aretz, [Tel Aviv, ca. 1933]. Rare.

The Haavara Agreement ("Transfer") was a document signed on August 25, 1933, between the Nazi authorities and the Jewish Agency. The initiative behind the agreement came from the German-Jewish businessman Sam Cohen. According to the agreement, Jews who wished to emigrate from Germany to Eretz israel were required to sell their property in Germany and deposit their funds in German banks. These funds were then used to purchase German goods, which were exported to Palestine. Upon their arrival, the goods were sold, and the immigrants received part of the proceeds.

On the surface, the agreement appeared beneficial for both parties: the Nazi regime sought to expel German Jews in its goal to create a "Jew-free Germany" and saw this as a means to encourage their departure, while Zionist institutions aimed to increase Jewish immigration to Palestine. The agreement was executed through three intermediary companies: Hanoar (a subsidiary of Bnei Binyamin, the first company granted the concession for property transfers), Anglo-Palestine Company (which, thanks to the agreement, transformed from a small bank into an international financial institution), and Haavara Ltd. 

The Haavara operations sparked fierce controversy both in the Yishuv and among Diaspora Jewry. The main objections stemmed from the necessity of engaging with Nazi Germany, which was seen as untouchable by many in the Yishuv, raising serious moral questions about collaborating with the enemy. Additionally, the agreement practically undermined the global boycott that American Jews attempted to impose on German goods. The opposing factions in the Yishuv were led by Mapai, which controlled the Jewish Agency and promoted the agreement, while the Revisionist movement vehemently opposed it. The poster before us was issued by supporters of the agreement, arguing: "The Land of Israel is the only hope for the Jews of Germany, and the transfer serves as their only and final bridge to escape." The poster claims that the Revisionists opposed the agreement not out of genuine concern but due to their narrow political interest in resisting anything the Zionist movement represented. It condemns the protests against the agreement, calling upon Zionists to reject the accusations of treason leveled at the Zionist leadership:  "Zionism stands today before a historic test. Jews! Will you believe the deceivers who claim that the Zionist Congress, the Jewish Agency, and its central institutions, which have taken responsibility for the Transfer, are betraying the Jewish people? … No Zionist with responsibility and discipline should participate in the public vote on 'Haavara.' Do not take part in harmful demonstrations! Show your political maturity and practical judgment."

In retrospect, those who supported the agreement and issued this poster saw reality as it was. The Jews who wisely took advantage of the Haavara framework, liquidated their assets, and left Germany at this stage ultimately saved their lives and the lives of future generations.

Size: 61X92 cm. Folding marks. Good condition.