Palestine: A Modern History (ص 106)

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عنوان

Palestine: A Modern History (ص 106)

المحتوى

222 The Great Palestine Revolt: 1936-1939
period no further Jewish immigration would be permitted without
Arab consent. In certain areas of Palestine no transfer of Arab lands
would be permitted whilst in other areas transfers would be restricted.
The Zionists received the White-Paper with hostility’ and vowed
to fight it to the finish. From 1939 onwards the Zionists could no
longer depend on the British Government:as protectors and sponsors
of their plan to establish a Jewish State in Palestine; they had to turn to
the United States of America for that role.
Resisted by- the Zionists as it were,:the 1939 White Paper left
something to be desired where the Arabs were concerned. Only
‘Abdullah and the Defence Party came out in favour of the new British
policy’ *! Rebel Headquarters viewed the White Paper in a different
light. As there was no promise of atnnesty for the rebels and no
inclination towards a rapprochement with the Mufti, they immediately
announced the rejection of the British proposals and promised that the
Higher Committee would issue a reasoned and detailed statement
shortly thereafter. Before the promised reasoned. statement was
published, British sources ‘had good reason to believe that the members
are not unanimous”*? as some. members were inclined to co-operate
with the Governntent’s policy as the best means of obtaining further
concessions.
Internal squabbles notwithstanding the Higher Committee’s
statement welcomed Britain’s recognition of Arab rights in principle
but regretted Britain’s failure to grant Palestinian independence ‘the
holiest of rights and the most precious aspiration of a nation’. Even the
postponed independence was subject to a Jewish veto and made
condition on Jewish co-operation. Furthermore, the Arabs, the Higher
Committee hinted, had no faith in the British Government, ‘
And as long as authority is not in the hands of the inhabitants of the
country, there is:rfothing to prevent the use of means commonly
practiced by imperialism.'**
The Higher Committee’s statement concluded by rejecting the White
Paper as it did not meet Arab demands which were summatised by their
motto,‘Palestine Will Get its Independence within the Arab Federation
and Will Remain Arab Forever’.
The Last Hurrah!
Although ‘tired of disérder and anxious for peace’ the majority of the
Palestinians mistrusted the Government’s intentions. As a result of rebel
The Great Palestine Revolt: 1936-1939 228
propaganda ‘a district hardening of opinion against the White Paper’
was apparent during the latter part of May 1939. Strenuous efforts
were made to continue the rebellion;
Reports from all parts of Palestine are unanimous in confirming that
gangs are being reformed under the newly retumed leaders and are
beginning to move freely about the country. Further evidence’of this
fact is the occurrence of several engagements in the past 10 days.“
In Zionist circles, the High Commissioner reported, the policy of
violence was ‘gaining ground particularly among youths’."“5 For a while
it seemed that each side of the Palestinian triangle was inwvolved in a
fight against the other two sides.
Mistrust of the Government’s: intentions, Jewish terrorism and
illegal immigration as well as season factors supplemented to rebel head-
quarters’ efforts to reinvigorate the Rebellion. Yet even before the
outbreak of the Second World War, it was quite evident that after years
of rebellion, the Arabs’ power and, ability to resist Britain and Zionism
by the force of arms had been weakened and exhausted.
One by dne the rebel leaders began to disappear, to lose influence or
get killed. On 25 March the most sincere and best respect of the
rebel leaders, ‘Abdul Rahim, was killed in an encounter with British
troops and a general strike of sympathy was observed by the all over
Palestine. On 13 April, ‘Aref ‘Abdul Razeq decamped from Palestine
and surrendered with twelve of his men to the French over the Syrian
border in a state of complete physical collapse owing to hunger,'*”
and, on 24 July, Abu Durra was captured near Jordan River by the
Arab Legion of Trans-Jordan..
War weariness, continted’ military pressure, hope that the favourable
aspects of the White Paper would be realised in addition to a shortage
of arms and ammunition'*® militated against the continuation of the
Rebellion. The approach of war brought forth the complete suppression
of the rebel headquarters in Damascus by the French. Soon after the
declaration of war, the rebellion-started to peter out, and MacMichael
was able to report that ‘as a whole the Arab comniunity has declared
its support for the Government in the war with Germany in no
uncertain fashion’.!*°
The outbreak of the War eclipsed local politics and disorders; the
great Palestine rebellion had ended ‘not with a bang but with a
whimper’. :
ain
raanth!
: live

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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