Albert Einstein was a political activist

On April 18, this year marks the 55th anniversary since the passing of Albert Einstein, widely regarded as the most renowned scientist in history. Unfortunately, Einstein has often been reduced to a simplistic portrayal, depicted as a caricature of a “Jewish genius with wavy hair.” However, it is important to recognize that he was a deeply political individual, aligning himself with leftist ideologies.

Einstein identified himself as a socialist and expressed his views in a 1949 article titled “Why Socialism?” published in the Marxist magazine Monthly Review. In this piece, he criticized the “economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today” as the root cause of global economic problems.

During the 1930s, Einstein, who himself had fled from Germany due to Hitler’s regime, expressed support for the American Communist Party’s opposition to the Nazis. As a result, he became associated with various left-wing organizations in the United States from 1937 to 1954.

By the time of his death, the FBI had compiled an extensive file on him, consisting of approximately 1,800 pages. However, much of the information contained within the dossier was based on rumors and insinuations.

Einstein held a favorable view of the Soviet Union and served as the honorary president of the American Committee of Jewish Writers, Artists, and Scientists, which supported the Soviet cause during World War II.

In July of 1943, the committee facilitated the well-known visit of the esteemed actor Shloime Mikhoels and the poet Itzik Fefer from the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee to the United States in order to garner support for the Soviet war endeavors. These two representatives from the Soviet Union paid a visit to Einstein’s residence in Princeton, New Jersey. Einstein also backed the unsuccessful effort to transform the Soviet far eastern territory of Birobidzhan into a Jewish establishment. During a gathering in New York on March 9-10, 1946, the Ambijan Committee, which was under Communist influence, was expanded to bring together progressive American Jews who were involved in the initiative. Einstein was chosen as the committee’s honorary president during the conference. With Einstein retaining his position as honorary president, Ambijan conducted its final national assembly in New York on December 10-11, 1949; it disbanded two years later due to a combination of internal McCarthyism in the United States and Stalinist paranoia and anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union.

During the 1950s, Einstein expressed his distress over the oppressive anti-Communist atmosphere in America, which had detrimental effects on the careers of numerous academics and scientists. He specifically viewed Senator Joseph McCarthy as a demagogue who posed a threat to freedom. In a letter published in the New York Times on June 12, 1953, Einstein proposed that intellectuals should refuse to testify before the Congressional committees investigating individuals suspected of Communist affiliations.

Einstein believed that if a sufficient number of people were willing to take this significant step, they would achieve success. However, if they failed to do so, he argued that the intellectuals in the country would only deserve the enslavement that was intended for them.

It is worth noting that some recent authors have attempted to portray Einstein as an opponent of Zionism. However, this is not an accurate representation. Einstein had long been committed to the idea of a bi-national state in Palestine. He was hesitant to endorse the establishment of a Jewish state, as he perceived it as a risky proposition.

However, in the 1940s, he became convinced of the idea due to the force of events. The mass murder of millions of Jews in Europe made it evident that the Arab resistance to any Jewish presence in Israel could only be overcome through a partition.

When President Harry Truman acknowledged Israel in May 1948, Einstein hailed it as the realization of their aspirations. Nevertheless, he was displeased with the limited assistance provided by the United States to the besieged Jewish state.

As a result, during the presidential election in November 1948, Einstein lent his support to former vice-president Henry Wallace’s Progressive Party. This party advocated for a pro-Soviet foreign policy, which also strongly backed the newly established state of Israel at that time, similar to the USSR. Unfortunately, Wallace was defeated in the election and did not win any states.

Albert Einstein’s immense reputation led to him being presented with the opportunity to become the president of Israel in 1952, following the passing of Chaim Weizmann. However, he respectfully declined the offer. A partially completed statement, discovered after Einstein’s death in 1955, revealed his intentions to dedicate his limited abilities towards serving truth and justice, even if it meant not pleasing everyone. Despite his lack of political expertise, it is undeniable that Einstein’s intentions were always guided by good intentions. Henry Srebrnik, a professor of political studies at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, provides this insight.