Commenting on Arab-Jewish relations in Palestine, the “Near East and India Magazine,” said to be close to the British Colonial Office, deplores in an editorial in the current issue, the fact that the voice of conciliation is little heard and carries no weight. The efforts of Einstein, Ruppin, Dr. Magnes and Hugo Bergman still carry no weight, it declares.
Pointing out that the Arabs have not made any move towards a fresh appreciation of the situation, the magazine says. “It seems that both Arabs and Zionists are awaiting the Commission’s report, but if the report is favorable to the Zionists this will not help conciliation with the Arabs and on the other hand if the report is favorable to the Arabs it will not assist in getting an agreement with the Zionists.” Therefore. “Near East and India” favors immediate negotiations that will lead to an understanding, because not until the Arabs and Jews extricate themselves from the attitude of wanting to pile a huge total of points scored in their favor that no real hope of peace can be said to exist.”
Quoting the “New Palestine,” official organ of the Zionist Organization of America, as saying that “The Palestine Jews are willing to go half way and meet the Arabs,” “Near East and India” urges that the Jews prove their willingness to initiate the negotiations. Then if there is no Arab response forthcoming, argues the magazine, the Zionists will know better than they do now where the sympathy of the people of the mandatory power belongs.
Continuing, the editorial says, “There is no doubt, that justifiably or not, the political ambitions of the Zionists in Palestine caused alarm amongst the Arabs. This alone can be decreased not by government assurances, but by the conduct of the Zionists. Now is the time to give, in the interests of Zionism, a more precise definition of a national home. While it is true that Achad Aham’s spiritual soul cannot live without a political body what dimensions, however, is this body to take?”
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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.
