Dr Chaim Weizmann in front of the Daniel Sieff Research Institute; Photo; Licensed article; Original: 5740×4315; Photographer: Unknown; Licensable; Rights: © Bleek/zb Media.
Dr Chaim Weizmann at the Daniel Sieff Research Institute, 1938 – with British officers
In this photo from 1938, Dr Chaim Weizmann, the prominent Zionist leader and scientist, stands in the Daniel Sieff Research Institute in Rehovot, surrounded by British officers. The formally dressed Weizmann appears to be engrossed in a discussion in which he emphasises the role of scientific progress in the development of the Jewish homeland in Palestine.
The British officers representing the colonial administration observe the research facilities with interest. Their presence reflects the strategic importance of scientific and industrial progress in the region as well as the complex political relations between the British Mandate authorities and the Zionist leadership.
Founded in 1934, the Daniel Sieff Research Institute later became the Weizmann Institute of Science, a world-renowned centre for scientific research. This image depicts a moment in diplomacy, science and politics at a pivotal time in history, when global tensions were rising on the eve of the Second World War.
