Zweierlei Mass: Die Emigration deutscher und polnischer Juden nach 1933

Eastern European governments (particularly Poland) were infected by the antisemitism in Nazi Germany; persecution of the Jews intensified, and the regimes wished to rid themselves of the Jews. The flood of German Jewish refugees, however, hurt Eastern European Jews' chances of emigration. More and more countries closed their borders. In Palestine, the British cut the number of certificates; Zionist leaders also wished to limit immigration to those who could contribute to economic development. The Joint switched its priorities to German Jews, with whom its leaders felt more affinity, and although the Yishuv's leaders sympathized with Eastern European Jewry, the Transfer Agreement gave the advantage to German Jews. At Evian there was disagreement among both Jewish and non-Jewish politicians whether to include Eastern European refugees in an eventual solution. It was felt that this might only encourage those regimes to further intensify the persecution; and also that the situation of the Eastern European Jews was "chronic", while that of German Jews was acute.