An intimation of the contents of the long-delayed official Arab reply to the White Paper is given by the Arab paper, Al Hayat. A full session of the Arab Executive yesterday spent the entire day considering the reply and it is expected to be made public shortly. The organ of the Grand Mufti, Aljamea Al Arabia, considers the reply, as revealed by Al Hayat, useless, because of the numerous explanations by the British government to calm the Jews.
Sir Herbert Samuel left Palestine in 1925 with a horizon as dark as when he came in 1920, the Arab statement says, according to the Al Hayat. The civil administration is unnecessarily large, the fellah is too heavily taxed and prices fell when Sir Herbert banned the export of cereals, the Arab statement says. It recalls that the visit of the first Arab delegation to London resulted in the White Paper of 1922 which the MacDonald government has now confirmed, recognizing that the acquisition of 1,000,000 dunams by the Jews has injured Arab interests.
Dr. Weizmann’s objections to the latest White Paper are inconsistent with his acceptance of the previous document which exceeded the Mandate when it envisaged assistance for the Jewish National Home to which there is no end unless Great Britain intends to remain in Palestine forever, the statement says.
The Arabs also reject Arab-Jewish cooperation, insisting that peace will not be restored until national government is granted the same as in Syria and Iraq. The British government has increased the garrison and elaborated plans for defense of the Jewish colonies, the statement complains, but all policies resting on force are bound to fail, it adds. The Arabs are dissatisfied with the proposed legislative council which they are ready to oppose until their demands are fully granted. They also demand a law forbidding the transfer of land to the Jews without the High Commissioner’s approval and a ban on immigration so long as a single Arab is unemployed.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
