News Brief

In a unanimously adopted resolution the Council of the Jewish Agency for Palestine this morning went on record again with a “sincere desire for the creation of a durable understanding between Jews and Arabs in Palestine on the basis of mutual confidence and respect” and declared that it is the Council’s conviction that “Jews and Arabs have a common interest in the peaceful development of Palestine.”

In the same resolution the Council instructed its Executive to continue its work “for the establishment under the Mandate of harmonious relations between Jews and Arabs based on the acceptance of both parties of the principle that neither is to dominate or to be dominated.”

At the same time the Council unanimously approved a resolution protesting against the difficulties attaching to Jewish land purchases in Palestine, Jewish immigration to Palestine and the employment of Jewish labor on public works despite the assurances contained in Premier MacDonald’s letter.

This resolution declared that “the Council draws attention to the continuous difficulties attached to the purchase of land by Jews, to Jewish immigration and to the employment of Jewish labor on public works despite the Premier’s letter. Moreover, the Tenants’ Protection Ordinance has been amended in a manner which very seriously impedes the acquisition of land by Jews. The Council accordingly urges the Mandatory Power to take immediate steps with a view to satisfying on the basis of the Mandate the justified claim of the Jewish Agency in respect to the aforementioned matter.”

BASIS FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION

In another resolution, also unanimously approved, the Council approved of the action of its representatives in the negotiations which led to the MacDonald letter and characterized this document “as a basis for further discussions of the Jewish Agency with the Mandatory Power to the effect of implementing the assurances to the Jewish people contained in the letter and the creation of such conditions as will ensure the uninterrupted development of the Jewish National Home.”

The text of this resolution reads as follows: “The Council of the Jewish Agency approves of the action of its representatives in the conduct of the negotiations which led to the issuance of the Premier’s letter, and takes note of the Premier’s statement as to the authoritative character of this document. The Council expresses appreciation of those assurances and definitions in the letter which show a desire of the Mandatory Power to allay the grave misgivings of the Jewish people aroused by the White Paper of October, 1930.

“The Council notes that the letter is not a complete statement of policy and that it contains reservations which afford ground for apprehension in this respect. The Council hopes that His Majesty’s Government will reach a satisfactory settlement with the Jewish Agency in the spirit of the Mandate. The Council regards the letter as a basis for further discussions of the Jewish Agency with the Mandatory Power to the effect of implementing the assurances to the Jewish people contained in the letter and the creation of such conditions as will ensure the uninterrupted development of the Jewish National Home.”

DEVELOPMENT SCHEME DISCUSSED

At this morning’s session of the Council a sharp difference arose between the Zionist and non-Zionist members when the Agency’s political commission’s resolution on the Palestine develpment scheme came up for a vote on the floor of the Council. After a lively debate it was decided by a vote of 28 to 17, with many members not voting, that the resolution should not be put to vote. The resolution was then removed from the agenda.

D’Avigdor Goldsmid of England, on behalf of the political commission which discussed the resolution throughout the night, submitted it to the Council with Dr. Cyrus Adler’s suggestion that it should not be read but considered as confidential and only the gist of it read to the Council which should vote on it on the basis of the gist of it.

The gist of the resolution declares that the Council of the Jewish Agency leaves the question of the Agency’s participation in the development scheme to the decision of its Executive. This suggestion created considerable excitement among the Zionist members, Menachem Mendel Ussishkin, president of the Jewish National Fund, asking Mr. Goldsmid whether the resolution had been unanimously adoptby the political commission.

When Mr. Goldsmid replied in the affirmative, Oscar Gruenbaum, Austrian Zionist, protested, declaring that it had been adopted against the opposition of the Zionist members of the commission. Mr. Goldsmid then declared that his reply had been based on a misunderstanding and that actually no unanimity existed in the political commission. Louis Lipsky, on behalf of the Agency’s Zionist members, then declared that it was impossible to vote for a resolution the contents of which remain confidential.

Following this declaration a vote was taken and by 28 to 17 it was decided not to put the resolution to a vote and it was removed from the agenda.

In line with a suggestion of Mr. Ussishkin, the Council unanimously decided to leave to the Agency’s administrative committee the framework of the budget within the limits of the budgets adopted by the Zionist Congress and that recommended by the Agency’s financial committee. The Congress’ budget is $1,800,000 and the one adopted by the Agency totals $1,750,000. The difference of $50,000 was left to the administrative committee to settle.