Herzl Celebrates Purim in Istanbul, Gets Mugged, and Learns a Lesson in Jewish Scheming from Co-Conspirator Emanuel Carasso in a Turkish TV Series

In this excerpt from the Turkish TV series "Sultan Abdülhamid," Theodor Herzl and his co-conspirator Emanuel Carasso celebrate Purim in Istanbul, while Herzl's plot to kidnap and kill Jews in Palestine is underway (see https://www.memri.org/tv/herzl-sends-british-spies-kidnap-and-kill-jews-jerusalem-drum-support-his-zionist-agenda-turkish). Later, Herzl and Carasso get mugged in the street, and Carasso manages to contain the situation, teaching Herzl a lesson: "We shall spread discord among the Ottomans - through money and women... fame, power mania, ethnic disputes, and lies about freedom." The TV series, which focuses on the last Ottoman ruler and his efforts to thwart a seemingly endless line of plots and schemes masterminded by Zionist leader Herzl and a group of multinational co-conspirators, has been airing weekly on the Turkish TRT TV channel.

Theodor Herzl: "Finally, we are celebrating a Jewish holiday, and in the capital, no less! No force, anywhere in the world, can possibly stop us."

Emanuel Carasso: "This is not due to our success but to the tolerance of the Ottoman state. Where is Sara? I wonder what costume she is wearing."

Theodor Herzl: "Did you come here for Sara or for the Purim holiday?"

Emanuel Carasso: "I'm here for Sara, of course. I don't believe in the holiness of this day."

Theodor Herzl: "How can you talk this way about a holiday mentioned in our Book?"

Emanuel Carasso: "Don't be like that, Herzl. You, too, know very well that we are talking about a holiday that a woman called Holy Esther wrote about, and that it was added to our Book later on."

[...]

Theodor Herzl: "The whole world will be shocked by the news soon to be published by my newspaper."

Emanuel Carasso: "What is the news? Look, if it excites me, I believe it will shock the whole world."

Theodor Herzl: "The innocent Jews in Jerusalem are being stifled by the oppressive Muslims. They are being killed. Soon the whole world will be shocked by this painful news."

Emanuel Carasso: "The superpowers will sympathize, and say: Let's establish a state for these poor Jews."

Theodor Herzl: "No. The Jews will be shocked by these deaths, and say: We must establish our own state."

Emanuel Carasso: "Theo, you don't understand me at all, do you? As long as Abdülhamid and his ideas run the Ottoman state, you should accept that the [Jewish] state is nothing but a dream."

Theodor Herzl: "Abdülhamid is a minor problem. Sara may have already removed that matter."

Emanuel Carasso: "As long as she does not sever her ties to Islam, the Ottoman woman can give birth to another Abdülhamid at any moment. What will happen without Abdülhamid? All the Muslim women throughout this empire will raise many others like him. As long as we do not cut their ties to Islam, it is all nothing but a dream."

Thug 1: "You cannot walk here by night without paying a tax, sirs."

Emanuel Carasso: "Calm down, young man. Just a moment. Take it. Take it all, but it is just for you. Watch."

Thug 2: "Give me my share."

Emanuel Carasso: "Watch it. We shall spread discord among the Ottomans – through money and women..."

Thug 2: "I told you to give me my share..."

Emanuel Carasso: "...fame, power mania, ethnic disputes, and lies about freedom. There is no other way. That's the only way the Ottoman state will collapse. You get me?"