ABSTRACT
Over the last 15 years, the work of Richard Breitman has shown that the Allies knew about Nazi atrocities, from a much earlier stage of the war, than historians had previously believed. The Allies response was a cynical mix of spontaneous shock, followed by calculations of realpolitik and anti-Semitic recoil. The translation of the Biltmore Plan into a practical policy led to an open challenge by Ben-Gurion to Weizmann's leadership. The former, now at the height of his powers, believed that it was time for a changing of the old guard-time for Weizmann, now an ailing, elder statesman, to give way. Henceforth, the British distinguished between the 'moderate' Weizmann and the 'radical' Ben-Gurion. But the Allies continued to maintain that they had spilled much blood in defeating Nazi Germany, to make Europe liberal and free and therefore, the Jews of Europe should return to their countries of origin.
