Perfidy, written by journalist, playwright, and screenwriter Ben Hecht, is a scathing account of political maneuvering, moral compromise, and betrayal surrounding the Holocaust and the establishment of the state of Israel. First published in 1961, the book remains one of the most controversial critiques of Zionist leadership during World War II, particularly focusing on Rudolf Kastner, a Hungarian Jewish leader accused of collaborating with the Nazis. Hecht’s work has sparked decades of debate, raising difficult questions about political pragmatism, morality, and historical responsibility.
Ben Hecht: The Outspoken Advocate
Ben Hecht was an influential American writer, known both for his work in Hollywood and his passionate advocacy for Jewish causes. Originally a journalist in Chicago, he gained fame as a screenwriter for films like Scarface (1932) and Notorious (1946). However, after learning of the atrocities committed against European Jews, Hecht became an ardent supporter of the Jewish underground movement fighting for the establishment of Israel. His activism led him to work closely with Zionist militant groups, including the Irgun, and to launch a public relations campaign to draw attention to Jewish suffering and the failures of Western governments to intervene.
The Kastner Affair: The Central Focus of Perfidy
At the heart of Perfidy is the story of Rudolf Kastner, a Jewish-Hungarian journalist and politician who led the Budapest-based Zionist Rescue Committee during World War II. Kastner negotiated with Nazi officers, including Adolf Eichmann, in an attempt to secure the survival of Hungarian Jews. His most notable action was arranging the “Kastner Train,” which transported 1,684 Jews—many of them prominent or well-connected—to safety in Switzerland in 1944. However, critics argue that Kastner’s negotiations came at a terrible moral cost.
Hecht’s book builds on accusations made during an Israeli libel trial in the 1950s, in which Kastner was accused of collaborating with the Nazis by misleading Hungarian Jews about their impending deportation to Auschwitz. The Israeli government initially defended Kastner, but the trial judge ruled that he had, in essence, “sold his soul to the devil.” Although the verdict was later overturned by Israel’s Supreme Court, Kastner was assassinated in 1957, further fueling controversy.
The Allegations and Their Implications
In Perfidy, Hecht argues that Kastner’s actions were not merely the desperate decisions of a man trying to save lives but rather part of a larger pattern of Zionist leadership prioritizing political goals over the survival of European Jewry. Hecht claims that Zionist leaders in British-controlled Palestine, particularly the Jewish Agency, were more concerned with securing a Jewish state than with mounting large-scale rescue efforts. According to Hecht, Zionist officials feared that too many European Jewish refugees would disrupt their vision for a carefully planned Jewish homeland.
The book asserts that Kastner actively deceived Hungarian Jews, reassuring them that they were being resettled rather than exterminated. This, Hecht contends, contributed to the smooth operation of the Holocaust in Hungary, where over 400,000 Jews were deported to Auschwitz within a few months. Hecht’s portrayal of Kastner is one of calculated betrayal—someone who sacrificed many to save a select few and who did so with the tacit approval of Zionist leaders.
The Israeli Government’s Role and the Libel Trial
One of the most explosive claims in Perfidy is that the Israeli government, particularly Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s administration, sought to suppress the full extent of Kastner’s actions. When Malchiel Gruenwald, a right-wing journalist, publicly accused Kastner of being a Nazi collaborator, the Israeli government responded by charging Gruenwald with criminal libel. This decision backfired spectacularly, as the trial brought Kastner’s dealings into the public spotlight.
During the trial, evidence emerged that Kastner had not only negotiated with the Nazis but had also written affidavits after the war defending SS officer Kurt Becher, who had been involved in the deportation of Hungarian Jews. This revelation severely damaged Kastner’s credibility and played a crucial role in the judge’s damning verdict. The case exposed deep divisions in Israeli society regarding the role of Zionist leaders during the Holocaust and the moral compromises made in the pursuit of statehood.
Reactions and Controversy
When Perfidy was published, it was met with outrage and acclaim in equal measure. Many Israeli officials and mainstream Zionist organizations denounced the book as a distortion of history and an attack on the legitimacy of the Jewish state. Others, however, praised Hecht for exposing uncomfortable truths and for challenging the official narratives of Israel’s founding.
Hecht’s perspective was particularly well-received by right-wing Zionists, especially those associated with the Irgun and its successor, the Herut party. Menachem Begin, the future Israeli Prime Minister and leader of Herut, had long criticized the mainstream Zionist leadership for what he saw as their inaction during the Holocaust. Perfidy provided fuel for these critiques, reinforcing the belief that Zionist leaders had betrayed European Jewry by failing to prioritize their rescue.
In academic circles, Hecht’s work has been viewed with skepticism due to its polemical tone and reliance on dramatic storytelling rather than balanced historical analysis. Many historians argue that while Kastner’s actions were controversial, they were undertaken in an environment of extreme duress, where moral clarity was nearly impossible. Defenders of Kastner argue that without his negotiations, the 1,684 people on the Kastner Train would not have survived, and that condemning him ignores the complex realities of wartime decision-making.
The Legacy of Perfidy
More than six decades after its publication, Perfidy remains a deeply polarizing book. It continues to influence debates about the Holocaust, Israeli history, and the ethics of political leadership in times of crisis. The Kastner Affair itself is now a case study in the moral dilemmas faced by Jewish leaders under Nazi rule, and Perfidy ensures that these difficult questions are not forgotten.
For some, the book is a necessary indictment of Zionist leadership’s failings during the Holocaust. For others, it is an oversimplified and incendiary account that unfairly vilifies individuals who were operating under unimaginable pressures. Regardless of where one stands, Perfidy forces readers to confront the uncomfortable reality that history is often shaped by decisions made in moral gray areas.
Conclusion
Ben Hecht’s Perfidy is a powerful, passionate, and controversial work that challenges official narratives about Zionist history and Holocaust rescue efforts. Whether one agrees with Hecht’s conclusions or not, the book raises essential questions about leadership, morality, and the cost of political pragmatism. In doing so, it ensures that the story of the Kastner Affair—and the broader dilemmas it represents—remains a crucial part of historical discourse.
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