The Palestine Administration of High Commissioner Sir Herbert Samuel has a two-fold duty, resulting from the dual nature of the Palestine Mandate; discontent undoubtedly exists in Palestine, but this is in no way attributable to the Administration, which discharges its two-fold duty faithfully, declares the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations in its report to the Council of the League of Nations, following discussion of the Commission last week on the Palestine reports.
It is owing to the dualism of the Palestine Mandate that repeated complaints have been received from persons invoking only one of the Palestine Mandate’s principles.
The Arab majority of Palestine rejects the idea of a Jewish National Home in the country and regards the policy of the present administration as a seizure of their patrimony by foreigners. The clash between the interests of Zionism and the Arab majority is apparent. The Arabs demand numerical and proportionate representation in the government of the country, the establishment of self-governing institutions, proper apportionments for Arab education and participation in the public works. While the Administration cannot admit it, the majority of the Arab population is opposed to the establishment of the Jewish National Home in Palestine.
The Commision appreciates the fairness of Sir Herbert Samuel’s administration in the discharge of its two-fold duty. If the Mandatory Power had only one object, either the interest of the present population or the interest of the Jewish National Home, the task of the Administration would be much easier. The Commission is, however, gratified to learn that the bitterness resulting from these conflicting interests is mitigated by the impartiality of the High Commissioner. The Commission is also satisfied that Sir Herbert Samuel repudiates the Zionist extremists who seek to supplant Arabs by Jews. This policy of the Administration is in agreement with the “White Paper” issued by the British Colonial Office on its Palestine policy which the Zionist Organization has accepted.
The report of the Permanent Mandates Commission further draws the attention of the Council of the League of Nations to the considerable Jewish immigration into Palestine. This immigration, the report says, comes mainly from East European countries and creates in Palestine a new population which although it is very zealous to contribute towards the rebuilding of the Jewish National Home, is not entirely prepared, neither by training nor by tradition to manual work, especially agriculture which Palestine needs most.
The immigration policy of the Mandatory Power arouses acute controversy between the Arabs and the Zionists, although the Zionists are not entirely satisfied with the immigration policy of the Administration. They feel that the first duty of the Mandatory Power of the Jewish National Homeland is to encourage and facilitate the immigration of Jews. Sometimes difficulties are placed in the way of Jewish immigration and in granting land to the immigrants.
The Permanent Mandates Commission hopes that the efforts of the Palestine High Commissioner to bring about cooperation of the Arab majority in the Central Administration will be successful in the interests of the peaceful development of the country.
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