By A.M. Goldstein

HAIFA —The old joke that Moses should have turned right—to what is now Saudi Arabia and its oil fields—instead of left to Israel actually had a true modern counterpart.  And this article might never have been datelined Haifa .

Had Nahum Vilbush, one of the 3-man delegation sent by the World Zionist Congress in 1903 to "spy out" Uganda as a possible Jewish homeland, not lost his way in the African wilderness, the Jewish state might have a different location. Prior to the Balfour Declaration, the British government had okayed an East African location for a Jewish state.

Dr. Gur Alroey of the University of Haifa 's Dept. of Land of Israel Studies revealed this anecdote of history in a recent "Academic Diary" interview telecast on cable TV's Academic Channel. 

Vilbush, incensed by his experience, went back to write a strongly negative report.  The positive report submitted by his two fellow land inspectors was effectively sidelined, and the trek was renewed to the Middle East rather than the heart of Africa .

The African land that was spied out was not present-day Uganda , but a section of Kenya .  The three who were sent to scout out the land, Alroey related, separated to cover more of it.  They were to meet at a prearranged point.  Vilbush's compass broke down, and he experienced a mentally harrowing time finding the meeting point, which influenced his report.

It was this very negative reaction, that "there was noting to look for in Uganda ," that was played up at the 7^th Zionist Congress, according to the University of Haifa historian.  The argument of the other two, that the African location was free of diseases, had little population, and was in good condition, was not stressed.  As a result of the rejection of the Uganda option, Israel Zangwill led a group that resigned from the Zionist Congress to form the "Jewish Territorial Organization."  Vilbush went on to settle in Haifa .

A.M. Goldstein is the English language editor for the University of Haifa's Department of External Affairs.