Although the composition of the Anglo-American inquiry commission on Palestine has not yet been decided upon, there is renewed interest are concerning the possibility of partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states “is the only alternative” to continued Jewish resistance to the present British policy with regard to Palestine.
The London Times forecasts in an editerial that the Anglo-American commission will endorse the partition plan, which was suggested by Lord Peel in 1937, as a temporary Measure until a joint Arab-Jewish administration in Palestine is possible. At the same time, the Times publishes an article by its Palestine correspondent urging the appointment of a panel “of fair minded judicial men” to decide on the intention of the Belfour Declaration, so that there should be no misunderstanding in interpreting the meaning of the phrase “Jewish National Home” contained in that document.
Reuter’s political correspondent says that the Palestine issue cannot be prejudged at this stage, before there is any report by the Anglo-American commission. howener, he emphasizes that if the partition plan is put into effect, it would allow for the creation of a Jewish and an Arab state in Palestine “with full international severeignty.” The Jewish State would, it was indicated, include the sub-districts of here, Safad, Tiberias, Nazareth and Haifa, and parts of the sub-districts of Jenin, (##)arem, Beisan, Jaffa and Ramleh. The possibility also exists that the Negev, the large decert area is Southern Palestine, for which the Jews have a special irrigation scheme, will also be included.
The Arab State, which may be linked up with Transjordan, would include the sub-districts of Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho, Hebron, Caza and Beersheba, and parts of the districts of Beisan, Jenin, Tulkarem, Jaffa, Ramleh, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The city of Jerusalem and the holy places would remain under international trusteeship with a corridor leading to Jaffa which would be part of the Arab State.
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.
