Palestine: A Modern History (ص 23)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 23)

المحتوى

48 Polarisation: The Military Administration 1917/1920 i" » + \
Object of Commission is to carry out subject to General Allefiby’s
authority any ‘steps wequired to give effect to Goverrtment
declaration in favour of éstablishment in Palestine of a national
home for Jewish people...and at the same time allay Arab
suspicions regarding true aims of Zionism.”
! .
Before the Zionist Commission reached Palestine the Palestinian
Arabs were able to transform their feelings of shock and apprehension
into organisational effort.as a means of promoting the expression ‘and
the effectiveness of their opposition to Zionist aims in Palestine.
Inevitably the temptation to imitate the enemy's tectiniques was
present. From Jerusalem, Clayton reported to his superiors:
Moslems are still nervous regarding progress of Zionist movement.
There are indications that Moslems think that British Authorities
intend to set-up a Jewish Government but that France will intervene
and oppose a Zionist State, ...Christians share Moslem’s apprehen-
sions. There is a movement in Jaffa amongst ‘the Mosléms and
Christians to appoint an official committee:to further.Christian and
Moslem.interests on similar lines to Jewish Committees.”
This movement culminated in the emergence of the Muslim-Christian
Committees which were similar to Zionist and Jewish organisations in
an effort to act as a counter-force to the Jewish ‘organisation. Muslim-
Christian Committees were mainly dominated by the leading notables
and merchants in the major cities and towns of Palestine «
The British officials in the area endeavoured to create a conciliatory
atmosphere on the eve of the Zionist Commission’s visit and made a
concerted,effort to bring forth an Arab-Zionist ententg.”” These.efforts
were directed at the traditional centres of political influence and power.
Thus towards the end of March the Corhmander-in-Chief ofthe British
forces paid a visit to the Mufti in Jerusalem which ‘produced an
excellent effect throughout Moslem community’.”"
Clayton lost no time in convincing pro-British Syrian politicians in
Cairo, working for.an Arab state in Syria, that Weizmann was working
for a ‘British Palestine’. He succeeded in persuading ‘Fawzi el-Bakri,
an-El Azm,a Nashashibi,an Abd el-Hadi, Dr Farouk. . to communicate
with their friends in Palestine to quiet their fears and reassure them’.”?
Yet when Weizmann and his Zionist Commission reached Palestine
during the first week of April 1918, he discovered that ‘Arab agitators
lost no time in proclaiming that “the British had sent for the Jews to
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Polarisation: The Military Administration 1917-1920 49
take over the country”’.*°
In a more optimistic frame of mind-Clayton expected ‘that meetings
between members of the Commission and leading local notables will do
much to dissipate apprehension of Christians and Moslem committees
in Palestine.*?
Clayton’s hopes notwithstanding, the Commission’s visit did little to
promote an Arab-Zionist entente. In a long report to the Foreign
Secretary (Balfour), Ormsby-Gore gave a detailed account of the
reception accorded to it by the various communities, as well as its
activities and the problems thereof. The report, though restrained, did
not fail to reflect Palestinian opposition to the Balfour Declaration and
the JNH policy:
.. It would be idle to deny the existence of a good deal of mutual
suspicion on the part of both Jews and Arabs...The Arabs are
generally apprehensive of expropriation by the Jews:and the loss of
social and political prestige; on the other side the Jews are frightened
of Arab fanaticism, intrigue and attempts at domination’. “
A Symptomatic Incident
Ormsby-Gore then reported a symptomatic incident signifying the
political deadlock in the triangular Arab-British-Zionist relations, in
Palestine. The incident was referred to as the ‘language controversy’,
which was precipitated by a recommendation submitted by the Arab
majority of the Municipal Council of Jaffa (nominated by the Military
Governor) that Arabic should be regarded as the only official language.
The Jewish minority (two out of mine members) protested and: the
British Military Governor refused to enforce the Council’s recommend-
ation. The ‘language controversy’ engendered political tension in Jaffa
and barred the establishment of friendly contacts between the Zionist
Commission and the town’s notables. It also*pointed out the course of
action the Arabs were likely to adopt in representative councils, and
the incompatibility of Palestinian Arab self-determination with the
Balfour Declaration and Zionist aims in Palestine.
In Jerusalem, however, Storrs managed to arrange a meeting in his
office between the members of the Commission and a representative
gathering of the leading personalities of the City. This gathering
included the three chief members of the Husseini family who,
from the official positions which they hold and from the universal
Tespect they command, not only in Jerusalem but in the whole of

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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