DR. STEPHEN S. WISE, PRESIDENT OF THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, SAID TODAY THE PARTITIONING OF PALESTINE WOULD BE “FANTASTICALLY ARBITRARY AND UNWORKABLE” AND “DEEPLY VIOLATIVE OF BRITISH OBLIGATIONS.”
DR. WISE’S STATEMENT FOLLOWED A REPORT FROM LONDON THAT THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S FINDINGS RECOMMENDED ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE COMPRISING THE GALILEE, THE VALLEY OF ESDRAELON, THE GREATER PART OF THE BEISAN AREA AND THE ENTIRE COASTAL PLAIN FROM RASELNAKURA TO BEER TUVIA; A PERMANENT BRITISH MANDATE FOR JERUSALEM, NAZARETH AND BETHLEHEM AND A CORRIDOR FROM JERUSALEM TO JAFFA, AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY TO BE COMBINED WITH TRANSJORDAN IN AN ARAB STATE.
DR. WISE’S STATEMENT WAS AS FOLLOWS: “THE FORECAST OF THE REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON PALESTINE, PROPOSING THE DISMEMBERMENT OF THE HOLY LAND, IS SO FANTASTICALLY ARBITRARY AND UNWORKABLE AND SO DEEPLY VIOLATIVE OF BRITISH OBLIGATIONS THAT, IN FAIRNESS TO GREAT BRITAIN, WE MUST WAIT UNTIL THE REPORT AND DECISION OF THE GOVERNMENT ARE ANNOUNCED BEFORE MAKING ANY COMMENT.”
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.