Amazement that the Mandates Commission should ignore in some instances and question in others the report of the Shaw Commission on the riots in Palestine while at the same time criticism embodied in the Jewish memorandum had been adopted, is expressed in the reply of the British Government to the conclusions reached by the Mandates Commission, according to information received by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The British Government also voices its resentment that the Mandates Commission had taken account of criticism from various other sources, upon which criticism the Mandatory Power had had no opportunity to comment.
The partial inaction of the Mandatory Power as regards its obligations to the Palestinian population, both Arab and Jewish, is the fundamental cause of the friction which eventually culminated in the riots of August, 1929, the Mandates Commission’s report states, according to information received by the J. T. A. bureau.
OBJECTS TO CONCLUSION
The British reply takes vigorous exception to this conclusion, stating that it is “all the more surprising in view of the fact that, up to now, the reports of the Mandates Commission had never foreshadowed in any way the charges now brought against the manner in which the Mandatory Power carried out its obligations.”
The difficulties created for the Mandatory Power by the attitude of the Arabs seem to be inadequately appreciated by the Commission, continues the reply. The British Government further notes that the findings of the Shaw Commission on questions of fact such as the causes of and responsibility for the outbreak, had in some cases been ignored by the Commission and in others questioned.
THE JEWISH MEMORANDUM
“Whatever view may be taken as to the conclusions arrived at by the members of the Shaw Commission,” states the reply of the British Government, “their verdict on questions of fact, coming as they do from so authoritative a source and based on actual evidence, tested by rigorous cross-examination, makes the attitude of the Mandates Commission in ignoring or questioning such facts more surprising when contrasted with the fact that at the same time criticism taken from the Jewish memorandum (which reached the Mandatory Power too late for an accompanying comment) had been adopted by the Mandates Commission, and when it is freely admitted by the Commission that account had been taken of criticism from various sources upon which also no opportunity of comment could be open to the Mandatory.”
The Mandatory Power, says the reply, has been made to appear as the
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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.
