The Hebrew press here is unanimous in its criticism of the British government for its recently issued White Paper on the Palestine situation. The “Ha’Aretz” points out that while the Labor government’s leaders “know the nature of our enterprise and its social and moral character they have endorsed the libels of our enemies” but have not “sufficent courage to annul the Balfour Declaration which is contrary to Premier MacDonald’s reaffirmed and so-called Zionist policy.
“Nevertheless they have rubberstamped all the false conclusions totally ignoring the need of the Jewish people and the sublime reconstruction effort. We do not accept the Colonial Office’s conspiracy to liquidate Zionism. We have had enough of surprise attacks and shocks. The Jewish people now demand a clear situation, either the fulfilment of the Mandate in letter and spirit or a complete withdrawal from the obligations as concerns the Jewish people’s national home.”
Pointing out that it is impossible to believe that the conversations with the Arab delegation convinced the government “the Arabs are right and we are wrong,” the “Davar” says that “hesitation to proceed with the exalted task of the fulfilment of the superb humanitarian mission has prompted the government to erase its obligations, forget its undertakings, surrender the weak to the strong and the victims of the riots to the organizers of the riots.
“Our hope that public opinion in England would be aroused is being disappointed but the justice of Israel does not bend its head before violence. We shall disclose the falsehood underlying the latest document for if this is British policy in Palestine today, tomorrow the Mandate no longer will exist.”
Premier MacDonald is following in the footsteps of the Shaw Commission, the “Doar Hayom” bitterly comments. “The axe is raised against immigration and colonization. . . The government’s attack is aimed at the principle vein for the Shaw Commission decided the main question, whether the Zionists should regulate immigration or Zionism’s worst enemies.”
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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.
