Plausibility: A Jewish homeland in Eastern Galicia

[Luath]

Hello all, I've been thinking about the possibilities of a timeline involving the establishment of a Jewish nation state in Europe, East Prussia was once suggested after WW2, though Crimea would be a more practical alternative. I saw it mentioned that Eastern Galicia, thats the former Austrian territory, not the Spanish one, was prior to WW2 the homeland for the Ashkenazi. So what I'm asking, and I don't really have any specific POD in mind, how plausible would it be to try and forge a state out of Eastern Galicia? I really know very little about this subject, and I'm just toying with ideas as ever, but I'm curious to here your thoughts.

Luath.

 

[Orko]

Where did you read that it was "the homeland for the Ashkenazi"? Galician Jews were a specific community of Ashkenazi Jews, but a Jew from Warsaw, for example had no relation to Galicia and even looked down on Galician Jews. At any rate, Galicia is already a well-populated region, and I don't see any power that would be willing to completely change the demographics and politics of the region just to appease the Jews, who don't even want to put their homeland there. The only somewhat plausible plan I can see is if Nazi Germany, of all powers, decides to go ahead with a Nisko Plan-like prospect for the Jews, except in Eastern Galicia and not Lublin. The Nazis will definitely not care about what the local Ukrainians and Poles think, or whether the Jews want to go to Galicia. But this is already a plan with a big hole - Eastern Galicia is in the Soviet-occupied part of Poland, meaning the Nazis will only acquire it after Barbarossa, by which point they had already abandoned the Nisko Plan. And anyway, even if this was implemented, once the Nazis are defeated this Jewish reservation in Galicia will probably get dismantled and most Jews would choose to go elsewhere.

 

[Luath]

Where did you read that it was "the homeland for the Ashkenazi"? Galician Jews were a specific community of Ashkenazi Jews, but a Jew from Warsaw, for example had no relation to Galicia and even looked down on Galician Jews. At any rate, Galicia is already a well-populated region, and I don't see any power that would be willing to completely change the demographics and politics of the region just to appease the Jews, who don't even want to put their homeland there. The only somewhat plausible plan I can see is if Nazi Germany, of all powers, decides to go ahead with a Nisko Plan-like prospect for the Jews, except in Eastern Galicia and not Lublin. The Nazis will definitely not care about what the local Ukrainians and Poles think, or whether the Jews want to go to Galicia. But this is already a plan with a big hole - Eastern Galicia is in the Soviet-occupied part of Poland, meaning the Nazis will only acquire it after Barbarossa, by which point they had already abandoned the Nisko Plan. And anyway, even if this was implemented, once the Nazis are defeated this Jewish reservation in Galicia will probably get dismantled and most Jews would choose to go elsewhere.

I am sorry, I had seen it on another thread discussing the idea of a Jewish homeland in Europe, I would certainly prefer if it was a voluntary creation. I had in mind a pan-European Jewish civil rights movement leading to the establishment of a Jewish state in Europe. But obviously this would require a world that avoids WW2 and the formation of Israel. What about Crimea then?

 

[Orko]

I am sorry, I had seen it on another thread discussing the idea of a Jewish homeland in Europe, I would certainly prefer if it was a voluntary creation. I had in mind a pan-European Jewish civil rights movement leading to the establishment of a Jewish state in Europe. But obviously this would require a world that avoids WW2 and the formation of Israel. What about Crimea then?

What about it? It also has the same problems as any other location for a Jewish homeland. Jews don't want it, there's already plenty of people living there who don't want it, and it's difficult to find a power that's willing to back it.

 

[Luath]

What about it? It also has the same problems as any other location for a Jewish homeland. Jews don't want it, there's already plenty of people living there who don't want it, and it's difficult to find a power that's willing to back it.

I mean thats pretty much a problem regardless of where you set up a homeland, unless a particularly fertile piece of Siberia could be found, I'm not under any Illusions about there being ethnic resistance to the plan, any European Jewish state would have to accommodate a large population of Non-Jewish people. Which is why I liked the idea of an international agreement on its creation.