2,000 Immigration Certificates Granted by Palestine Government for Coming Half Year: Jewish Agency E

The Jewish Agency Executive here has informed the J.T.A. to-day that the Palestine Government has granted 2,000 Labour Schedule immigration certificates for the coming half year, April to October.

The Government is reserving 300 of these certificates for tourists who may decide to remain permanently in the country. The remaining 1,700 certificates include 400 certificates for women.

The Jewish Agency Executive had asked the Government for 3,750 certificates, based on the present employment needs in Palestine, and is dissatisfied with the heavy cut of 1,750, which it is asking the Government to explain.

In a reference to unemployment in Palestine, Dr. Brodetsky, speaking in London last week, shortly after his return from Palestine, said: I am told by the people who know the facts, that what Palestine is suffering from is not unemployment but a lack of people to be employed. I hope that in the near future there will be a considerable increase of immigration into Palestine.

In the course of the Palestine debate in the House of Commons last week, Colonel John Buchan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Pro-Palestine-Committee, said that no Zionist objects to any restriction of immigration based upon economic facts. Zionists, he argued, are not fools or dreamers; they are practical men. All they ask is that there should be no artificial barrier to such immigration; no barrier except the capacity of the land at the moment to absorb the immigrants, and that that fact should be clearly made known to Jews throughout the world.

Therefore I would respectfully beg of the Colonial Secretary that as soon as possible he should make some announcement of an increase in the immigration quota to a substantial figure; to some figure which will be satisfactory to the Jews up and down the world who have given the interest of their lives for the establishment of a national home.