Palestine: A Modern History (ص 32)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 32)

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66 Polarisation: The Military Administration 1917-1920 ,
It Will Have to Be Coerced
Weizmann, however, was under no illusion as to"the inevitable ‘failure of
all such efforts to’ bring about a reconciliation with the majority of the
Arabs.of Palestine.”
Nevertheless, the Zionist leader was determined to turti Palestine
into 4 Jewish’country. Alarmed by Zangwill’s statement that the “Arabs
ought to-be’reméved to Syria leaving their land to the Jews of Palestine’,
Herbert’ St#muel®! remtarked (in:the course of 4 meeting of the Advisory
Committee to the Palestine Office) that ‘If we (Zionists) were’ to-go to
Palestife to oppress other people it would be an unspeakable disgrace’.”?
Weizmann then spokd -with considerable frankness regarding the
impending Inter-Allied Commission, and the unpleasant implications of
a Zionist policy in Palestine:
Wilk-the British apply self-determination in Palestine which is -five
hours from Egypt or not? If not it will have to Becoérced. * Yes or
no: it amounts to:that.*3:
yar
Weizmann then asked for-preferential treatment and for state lands to
settle 40,000 to 50,000: Jews per year. Ormsby-Gere accepted
Weizmann’s” arguments and was-in favour of granting his requests. He
was in favour of encouraging non-Muslims;: Europeans-and Jews, to
dévelop and stabilise thé:Near East in view of‘the. fact that Islam was
the ‘main danger. Since the Zionist Orgafisation provided the required
human-element to man the Palestinian output in Europe’s fight against
Islam, 3 '
It issin the interest of England to assist the Zichist Organisation and
any other-organisation which may‘ coopérate with'them’dn the
practical development of Jewish colonisation in Palestine."
A *y Jey
To Q@rmsby-Gore, as well as other major British political figures,
Zionisfn 4nd the Balfour Declaration’s policy of a Jewish national home
in-Palesting. was avhose jugée. ‘
A week before the Inter-Allied Commission -arrived the Muslim-
Christian Society of Jerusalém proposed to issue a circular regarding
their views which they intended’to put forward before the Commission.
The’circulat stréssed the umitly df Syria and affirmied that Palestine —
southéft Syria'—'was an inseparablé part of Syria. As far as the Zidnist
issue was concerned, an énlightened differentiation between native Jews
and foreign incoming Zionists were made~ !
Polarisation: Thé Military Avministration.19 17-1920 67
We completely refuse to allow Palestine to:be turned into a national
home‘for the Jews. We also do not admit any Jewish immigrant into
our country and energetically protest against the Zionist movement.
J The native Jews who are previous inhabitants of the country, should
be considered as native and possess privileges: and misfortunes asawe
do.
F General Allenby, however, considered the circular undesirable and with-
4 f theld permission to issue.
; For.reasons which go beyond the scope of the present study, the
# French andthe British failed to participate in the Inter-Allied Commis-
f sion. Eventually, it was decided that the American members of the
: Commission should proceed and make the necessary investigations on
f; their own. The implications of thre absence: of the other powers that
q were to participate in the, Commission could not have failed to leave an
f adverse reaction among the Arabs, but Clayton could have been right
; whén-he informed the FO that +
It is conceivable,that the leaders of the people may feel themselves
f+ more free to express their-regl feelings being unembarrassed by any
fear of offending either Great Britain or France, both of whom are
considered to be interested parties.
The King Crane Commission '
d z his meticulous study®” on the Inter-Allied Commission, known-Jater
fas the King Crane Commission after the two American Commissioners,
zt atry Howard delved very deeply, into, the formation and findings of
a hé American investigators, and :there is ho. need to go over,the same
peround again. The Commission arrived oft 19 June and lost no-time.in
ascertaining the. opinions and desires of the whole people: Before they
Heft Palestine the Commission heard evidence and received petitions
7 rom all kinds of.political groups in the country”
Summarising their findings .the Commission reported:
“ ‘be th
Judging ftom the‘evidence which ‘had: been presented to the Commis-
sion during.its short visit to Palestine, June 10-25, only the Zionist
Jews, about ofie-tenth of the-total population favoured the establish-
ment of a,Jewish National,’home in ,that- country! The rest of the
population-Moslem and,Christian Arabs alike, desired to preserve the
unity of the country.with Syria of which they considered Palestine
to’be both historically and geographically a part.”
ak ee ets
ae

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

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