Submitting to the pressure of the Palestine government and Arab leaders, Emir Abdullah today announced the cancellation of the agreement to lease 70,000 dunams of his personal domain for Jewish settlement, the reports of which have been agitating Jewish and Arab circles for the past fortnight.
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin el Husseini, is believed to have played an important role in bringing about the cancellation of the lease as the Emir’s action follows on the heels of the Grand Mufti’s visit to him in Amman yesterday.
Simultaneously Emir Abdullah authorized the Arab press to announce that he does not intend to lease his land to foreigners in the future.
E### Abdullah’s cancellation of the lease is in line with the demands of Arab nationalists in Palestine, Syria, and Iraq, who have threatened him with reprisals. The Istiklal, Arab Independent Party, had threatened to overthrow him unless the agreement with the Jews were rescinded.
In contrast with the opposition of Arab Nationalists in other countries, were the resolution adopted by Transjordan shieks, approving the agreement of Emir Abdullah and the memorandum favoring Jewish settlement submitted by them to the Colonial Office as well as to Emir Abdullah.
The difficult economic situation in Transjordan was the reason given for Emir Abdullah’s lease of his land.
Abdullah denied that he ever signed an agreement with the Jews for the lease of land, it is now reported here.
According to the reports, Emir Abdullah stated that he had only signed an option for the lease of the land but now is determined not to lease it to foreigners.
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