British Jewry added its voice of protest to that expressed by Jewish communities in other parts of the world and urged the British government to restore immediately law and order in Palestine, at a huge mass meeting held here Sunday night at the Royal Albert Hall under the chairmanship of Lord Melchett.
Fifteen thousand persons crowded the hall and an equal number waited outside. Chief Rabbi of the British Emipre, Dr. Joseph H. Hertz, O. E. D’Avigdor Goldsmid, president of the Board of Jewish Deputies; Louis Lipsky, president of the Zionist Organization of America; Dr. Chaim Weizmann president of the World Zionist Organization; Harry Sacher, member of the Zionist Executive in Jerusalem; Col. Josiah Wedgwood, labor M. P. and Dr. Canim Arlosoroff. Zionist labor leader were among the speakers.
Weeping was audible in the great hall which was pervaded by an atmosphere of grief and protest as the Chief Rabbi offered a prayer for those slain in Palestine and that “Israel may henceforth be saved from violence.”
Leading British statesmen including Gen. Sir George MacDonough. chairman of the British Palestine Mandate Society; the Marquise of Reading, Viscount Cecil, Sir Oliver Lodge, Major Ormsby-Gore, Sir Robert Waley Cohen, Dr. Claude Motefiore, president of the Anglo-Jewish Association: the Dean of Durham. J. E. C. Welldon. Dean Inge and Nahum Sokolow sent messages expressing sympathy with the Jewish community, indignation at the horrors of the Palestine massacres and urging confidence in the British government that it will speedily restore order and live up to its promises contained in the Balfour Declaration and in the acceptance from the League of Nations of the Mandate over Palestine with a view of establishing there a National Home for the Jewish people.
A message from Cardinal Hayes Archbishop of New York, expressing the sympathy of American Catholics was read by Louis Lipsky, president of the Zionist Organization of America.
The meeting adopted the following resolution:
“This meeting, representing all sections of the Anglo-Jewish community joins with their fellow-Jews of all the world in expressing horror and indignation at the recent events in Palestine. The Jewish people relying on the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate accepted by Great Britain, proceeded with ever increasing energy during the past ten years in its great task of the peaceful upbuilding of Palestine. Most of the work achieved has now suffered violent and wanton destruction. Innocent Jews and Jewesses were murdered and many of our pioneers died in defense of the foundations they laid for the Jewish National Home.
“As citizens of the Mandatory Power, we feel with special intensity the blow struck at Jewish life in Palestine which was created on the basis of confidence in the Mandate.
“The measures taken by the Imperial government will, it is hoped, lead to a speedy cessation of the destruction of life and property, but the meeting calls upon His Majesty’s Government to take prompt and effective steps to punish those guilty of the outrages, to remove the officials who shall have proved to have been unequal to their duty, to provide adequate reparation for the loss of Jewish life and property, to furnish effective guarantees through the reorganization of the Palestine police and other necessary means against the repetition of similar outrages and to facilitate a renewed and increased Jewish immigration.
“This meeting further demands of His Majesty’s Government to effect, without delay, a just and final settlement of the question of rights of worship at the Wailing Wall.
“This meeting looks to His Majesty’s government to make so clear a statement of British policies in regard to the Jewish National Home as will keep unimpaired the confidence which the Jewish people have always felt in Great Britain.
“This meeting declares that, undeterred by attacks, the Jewish people will continue with unshaken determination to build the Jewish National Home.
“We pledge ourselves to continue with still greater energy the work of Jewish reconstruction and to make every sacrifice to insure and increase Jewish immigration and the effective and speedy upbuilding of the Jewish National Home.”
PALESTINE MANDATE SOCIETY WILL REDOUBLE EFFORTS
General Sir George MacDonough, Chairman of the Palestine Mandate Society, expressed his deepest sympathy to the Jewish communities the world over and declared his fullest confidence that the government will speedily restore order and ensure the fullest safety to the Jewish people, and liberty of worship for the Jews, and the carrying out of the Balfour Declaration. He demanded the fullest inquiry, and stated that the Palestine Mandate Society will redouble its efforts to carry out the pledge of the British government.
READING DEMANDS INQUIRY BY INDEPENDENT COMMISSION
Lord Reading expressed his horror and indignation at the events which are transpiring in Palestine. “Not only the Jews, but the whole civilized world stands aghast at the terrible massacres which have occurred,” he declared. He expressed his amazement at the failure to protect the Jewish population, which relied on the Balfour Declaration and the Palestine government. Demanding a full and searching inquiry into the Palestine situation by an independent commission, Lord Reading urged prompt measures be taken to ensure that the Palestine Mandate is scrupulously and effectively observed. “His Majesty’s Government,” he said, “recognizes the gravity of the situation and will not hesitate to take the requisite steps to cope with it, confident that it will have the support of the British people, irrespective of political parties, who will insist upon the faithful observance of the Palestine Mandate and the maintenance of the British Government’s reputation for fidelity to its pledge. I am convinced the Jews will then face the future undismayed by the past, notwithstanding the terrible experiences, and that they will continue their constructive work in Palestine, calmly, determinedly, courageously,” he concluded.
AVOID QUARRELLING AMONG FRIENDS
“In the terrible disaster, let us avoid quarreling among friends,” declared General Smuts. “The British Government remains the best friend of the policy for the rebuilding of the Jewish National Home. I am convinced that the recent sad events will strengthen that policy and that Great Britain will more vigorously prosecute and safeguard Jewish interests.”
ATTACK ORGANIZED, NO MORE TALK OF SELF-GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS
“The revolting barbarism that has marked the simultaneous attacks by the so-called Arabs on their Jewish fellow countrymen, was clearly organized and prepared, and must have shocked civilization,” declared Major Ormsby-Gore. “The brutality of the attacks was appalling.” He expressed the hope that the tragedy is not the result of weakness on the part of the Palestine government and that henceforth British troops, stationed in Palestine, will uphold the Pax Britannica and enable the Balfour Declaration to be fully carried out. “Above all, we want no more talk of parliamentary or self-governing institutions in Palestine,” he stated.
“The religious massacres and the persecutions are horrible to contemplate and very sad. Our recovery of Palestine is marred by the ghastly outbreak of fanaticism among an undisciplined people,” said Sir Oliver Lodge.
Sir Robert Waley-Cohen declared that the thorough indignation of the civilized world demands that the government make immediate and adequate reparation to the survivors of the tragedy, and that such measures be taken as will assure “firmly and finally the (Continued on Page 11)
Similar sentiments were expressed by Claude Montefiore, president of the Anglo-Jewish Association.
Expressing his regret that his absence in Geneva prevented his attendance at the meeting. Viscount Cecil, in a message, joined in the expressions of horror and indignation at the events in Palestine.
BRITISH OR NO BRITISH, WE SHALL GO ON, PALESTINE LABOR LEADER DECLARES
Speaking as a citizen of Palestine. Dr. Chaim Arlosoroff declared that he looks with envy upon those comrades who for years worked peacefully conquering the land and are now forced to take up rifles to defend the settlements. “I am ashamed that I am compelled to stand on this platform instead of being with the Jewish selidefense corps of Palestine,” he said. Declaring that he does not wish to speak of the murder and pillage, but of the work, he urged that every ship touching Palestinian ports must carry new Jewish recruits into Palestine. On the very day of the Sated massacre, he pointed out. Chaluzim from Russia landed in Jaffa.
Colonization must not suffer interruption at this stage, he urged. “This meeting should say to the children who survived the massacre of Hebron, that within their lifetime a new-Jewish Hebron must be rebuilt. We will not only defend our ancient Wall, but build thousands of walls of new homes in which our pioneers will live. If we want peace in Palestine, we must strengthen the position of the Jewish people. They are too deeply rooted in Palestine to be uprooted, but they are still too weak to prevent such events is have occurred.
“Mandate or no mandate,” he continued. “British or no British, we shall go on with our work in Palestine: we shall keep up the rebuilding of the Jewish homeland.”
The feeling among British Zionists following the Albert Hall mass meeting was that Zionists and non-Zionists alike are determined to go on with the work in Palestine. Even those non-Zionists who were hitherto Inkewarm, manifest the same determination and speak unequivocally of the “Jewish National Home,” unafraid of using this term.
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