Persistent rumors of the pending establishment of a legislative council in Palestine have now crystallised into the report that the government intends making an announcement along these lines in September. The High Commissioner is expected to discuss this matter with the Colonial Secretary and other permanent officials at the Colonial Office on his leave in England.
According to the plan, a local paper says, there are to be twenty delegates under the chairmanship of the High Commissioner. There will be eight Moslems, four Jews, two Christians, and four British directors of government departments. They will all be appointed, not elected. The function of the body will be advisory rather than legislative.
The Jewish population is known to be strongly antagonistic to such a Council, while Arabs will welcome it as a first step towards self-government and “a free, Arab Palestine.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
