PARTITION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINE PROBLEM, MOSHE SMILANSKI, PRESIDENT OF THE PALESTINE JEWISH FARMERS ASSOCIATION, TOLD THE ANGLO-PALESTINE CLUB TODAY, DECLARING THE PROPOSED JEWISH STATE COULD ABSORB 2,000,000 JEWS IN FROM TEN TO TWENTY YEARS.
AT THE SAME TIME H.A. GOODMAN, POLITICAL SECRETARY OF THE AGUDATH ISRAEL, PRESENTED TO AN UNDERSECRETARY OF THE COLONIAL OFFICE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT THE RECENT MARIENBAD CONGRESS OF THE ORTHODOX JEWISH ORGANIZATION REJECTING THE PARTITION PLAN. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THE AGUDATH ISRAEL WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ITS ATTITUDE BEFORE A FINAL DECISION IS MADE BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
SMILANSKI SAID THAT UNDER THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S SCHEME THE JEWISH STATE WOULD INCLUDE THE MOST FERTILE SECTION OF PALESTINE SINCE IT WOULD CONTAIN 4,500,000 DUNAMS OF THE 5,750,000 DUNAMS OF CULTIVABLE LAND IN THE HOLY LAND. (A DUNAM IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN QUARTER OF AN ACRE.)
ACCORDING TO SMILANSKY’S ANALYSIS, 3,500,000 OF THE 4,500,000 DUNAMS ARE STILL IN ARAB HANDS, INCLUDING 1,250,000 DUNAMS OWNED BY RICH ARABS RESIDING ABROAD WHO WOULD PROBABLY BE WILLING TO SELL OUT TO JEWS. OF THE REMAINDER 250,000 DUNAMS COULD EASILY BE PURCHASED.
THE PLAN TO TRANSFER ARABS FROM THE JEWISH STATE TO TRANSJORDAN IS AN ILLUSION AND NOT LIKELY TO MATERIALIZE, THE FARM LEADER DECLARED. HE SET THREE CONDITIONS FOR CREATION OF A JEWISH STATE TO BE FULFILLED BY GREAT BRITAIN:
1. A GUARANTEE DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD UNTIL THE JEWISH POPULATION POACHED THE MILLION MARK.
2. THE GRANTING OF MOST-FAVORED-NATION TREATMENT TO THE JEWISH STATE BY THE BRITISH EMPIRE,
3. AN INTERNATIONAL LOAN, SINCE THE JEWS ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO CARRY ON WITHOUT SUCH ASSISTANCE.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
