A devout Anglican, the Australian-born Andrews famously told Jewish pioneers struggling to resettle the land: “We Christians believe that the Messiah will come and redeem mankind only when a Jewish state is established…and I, who hoped all my life to be one of the helpers of this rebirth of the Jewish people, am fortunate to have this privilege.”
Dozens of Israeli communities in Israel’s northern regions at least partially owe their existence to Andrews. He assisted in the transfer of tens of thousands of acres of land to Jewish ownership, enabling the establishment of many outpost settlements that protected the returning Jews from Arab attacks. Andrews also was largely responsible for the Peel Commission’s decision in 1937 to release the western portion of the Land of Israel along the Mediterranean Sea to the pre-state Jewish authorities — a move that riled the Arabs.
On his way to prayer services at Christ Church in Nazareth on September 26th, 1937, Andrews was assassinated by an Arab gunman.
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