Russell, the Rothschilds and Israel

This responds to one of several claims being made in a report entitled "Charles Taze Russell and the Jehovah's Witness", evidently written by Jeremy Nelson.  Apparently, the claim is based on the false claims of Fritz Springmeier. The report is designed for the Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is mostly about Charles Taze Russell, who was never a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the claims is the idea that the Rothchilds worked with Charles Taze Russell in sending Jewish people to Israel. While there are many other false claims presented by the author linked to, here we are focusing on this one claim. 

We have found no evidence that "the Rothschilds worked with Charles Taze Russell in sending Jewish people into Israel." We could find no evidence that Russell was actively involved in sending Jewish people to Israel, although he did encourage Jews to return there in harmony with the fulfillment of Bible prophecies.

Russell did send a letter to one of the Rothschilds in which Russell made some suggestions, but, as far as we have been able to determine, as Russell later stated, no response was received from that letter. Other than that, we haven't been able to verify any contact that Russell had with the Rothschilds, although he probably did have contact with some of them, especially when he was invited to speak at a Jewish conference in New York Hippodrome in 1910.

Russell, of course, did not start the "Jehovah's Witnesses" operation, as he did not believe in such. He did start publishing the Watch Tower magazine, and was the main founder of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. The Watch Tower Society, as was originally created, basically ceased to exist after his death. In effect, Rutherford destroyed the Watch Tower Society as Russell had created it by deceitfully having new by-laws passed.

Neverhthess, Russell mostly used his own funds obtained from the sale of his businesses to start the Watch Tower and the Watch Tower Society. There is no evidence that he started the Watch Tower with some alleged funds from the Rothschilds, who apparently knew nothing about Russell at the time that Russell started the Watch Tower Society. 

For more regarding Russell and the Rothschilds, see
Charles Taze Russell and the Rothschilds Resource Page

Regarding all of Nelsons' assertions:

Jeremy Nelson and Charles Taze Russell Resource Page

Regarding why Russell started The Watch Tower, see:

Supplement to the first issue of the Watch Tower: