My (basic) understanding is that zionists (especially chaim weizmann) had been able to lobby great Britain to publish the Balfour declaration in 1917. Many brits at the time felt that having jews on their side was a good thing- and making enemies of them would be dangerous. I've heard that zionists in the British government (chaim weizmann?) helped stop a separate peace being signed with the Ottomans so that palestine could be reserved for them. I know that this is an enormously politicized topic, but I'm wondering how much zionists and jews influenced the course of the war.

As a rule, I lend benefit of doubt to explanations for causes or events which are dismissed but once considered popular- there is almost always some kernel of truth in exaggerated hyperbole. Thus, when I consider how many Germans thought that Jews had betrayed them in WW1, I want to know to what degree this idea is true. I think that despite many world leader's fears, Jews were neververy organized. But, Jews as a group tended to be more communistic and anti-monarchical. I could also easily believe that German jews in positions of influence (such as bankers) would have worked against the german government, after Britain signalled their acceptance of zionism with the Balfour declararion.

So, were their any significant jews in Germany who worked against germany? Did they work with explicit or implicit direction from Britain, or independently? Was it widespread or isolated? Was it just a demographics issue (e.g. Jews tended to be more wealthy and politically liberal and thus less nationalistic and more globalist as a mean)? How justified was the German sentiment that they had been betrayed?