Palestine Hebrew Press on New Government Pronouncement: Labour Daily “davar” and “haaretz” on the Wh

The three Palestine Hebrew dailies all deal to-day with the new Government pronouncement on Palestine Policy contained in Mr. Ramsay MacDonald’s letter to Dr. Weizmann, but while the “Haaretz” and the Labour daily “Davar” are on the whole satisfied, the Revisionist “Doar Hayom” takes the view that the new statement is no compensation for the blow struck at the Jewish work in Palestine by the white Paper.

The “Haaretz” summarises the improvements in the new Government letter over against the White Paper as being the recognition of the Jewish title to Palestine, the promised facilities for Jewish immigration and land settlement, the substitution of the phrase “displaced Arabs” for “landless Arabs” as having an immediate claim on the Government, and the right of the Jews to employment on public works. The “Haaretz” deplores that the control of land transfer remains temporarily in the hands of the High Commissioner, but in general it agrees with Dr. Weizmann that the basis of co-operation with the Government has been restored.

The “Davar” finds that the new Government letter contrasts favourably with the White Paper, but the second part of the negotiations, it concludes, will determine the value of the concessions obtained in respect to the questions of development, status of the Jewish Agency, and constitutional changes, but on the whole, the paper is satisfied that Dr. Weizmann’s efforts have not been futile.

The “Doar Hayom” (with regard to which the publishers state to-day that the Revisionist editorship has now ceased, and that Mr. Ittamar Ben Avi, the former editor, is returning to his old post), takes the view that the new Government letter is no compensation for the blow of the White Paper, although it agrees that it has wiped out the antisemitism of the white Paper. This, it attributes, however, to the influence of the Jewish people, not of Dr. Weizmann, emphasising the efficacy of the big Jewish demonstrations against the White Paper which were held in New York, Warsaw, and in other places. The Government letter, the “Doar Hayom” concludes, does not provide the basis for the fulfilment of the Balfour Declaration, since the questions of immigration, land and labour are still based on the White Paper.