In the opinion of some senior British officials, Palestine is living “on the slopes of a volcano,” the Jerusalem correspondent of the London Times says today, giving the following reason why trouble has not yet broken out:
The Arabs are hopelessly divided and cannot present a united front on a single question; Jewish public opinion has been outraged and frightened by the terrorism which was frequent several months ago and has been thrown on the side of the authorities; and the efficient reorganization and expansion of the police force.
Superficially, the correspondent writes, Palestine remains unusually tranquil, “but the real danger would come should some event bring into the arena the bulk of the Jewish population, which contains large numbers of armed trained men and women.”
The Jews in Palestine are awaiting the results of the British elections, he continues. “If the Labor Party emerges victorious, it would awaken hopes among the Jews, which, if not immediately fulfilled, could easily result in trouble.” The article concludes with the statement that “in the opinion of many people,” the trouble between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem over the mayoralty could be solved by the appointment of a permanent British mayor.
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.
