Dr. Chaim Weizmann, in a three-page letter ??dressed to the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine which is now in Geneva (##)mulating its recommendations for submission to the General Assembly, outlined the (##)sons why he regards a federal or cantonal solution of the Palestine problem as (##)ss acceptable than partition. Dr. Weizmann asked UNSCOP to include the letter in (##)s records.
Dr. Weizmann explained that the principle of federal or cantonal government (##) “of no help in the present situation.” Summarizing his criticism of the Morrison (##)d Bevin plans, he said:
1. The Morrison plan and the Bevin plan have the effect of excluding Jewish settlement from the greater part of the Mandate area, without even assuring the Jews complete freedom in the small area remaining. Under these two plans, the obligations (##)posed by the Palestine Mandate “to facilitate Jewish immigration” and “to encourage (##)ose settlement by the Jews on the land” become void in all but a minute fragment of Palestine.
2. Although both plans make provisions for the immigration of 100,000 Jewish refugees–the Morrison plan within a reasonable period, and the Bevin plan far (##)o slowly–there is no assurance of free immigration thereafter. While the Arabs (##)e entirely free to exclude Jews from their large area, the Jews are not entirely (##)ee to admit immigrants to their small province.
3. In the matter of land settlement, the effect of both proposals is to perpetuate desolation in the Negev and the under-development in Galilee, since both areas are placed out of bounds to the Jews.
4. Neither scheme assures the Jews the political status enjoyed by surrounding Arab countries–that of independence and United Nations membership.
FEDERALIZATION WITH “IMPROVEMENTS” ARE “LESS PROMISING” THAN JEWISH STATE
1. A federal scheme is not a final and lasting settlement; 2. A federal solution falls short of complete independence, because a third party–in addition to the Arabs and Jews–becomes the central authority of the government and is armed with powers of sovereignty and immigration control; 3. Federalism does not offer the Jewish people a place in the United Nations; 4. Federalism cannot begin to work without a measure of agreement which is now lacking, while partition creates the conditions (##) which agreement may develop.
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