A SECOND MOSLEM NATION, IRAQ, TODAY VOICED OPPOSITION BEFORE THE EIGHTEENTH ASSEMBLY OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS TO GREAT BRITAIN’S PLAN TO CREATE INDEPENDENT JEWISH AND ARAB STATES THROUGH A THREE-WAY PARTITION OF PALESTINE.
FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF EGYPT, WHICH PROTESTED THE PROPOSAL ON SATURDAY, IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER TEWFIK ES-SWAIDY OBJECTED ON THE GROUNDS THAT A SOLUTION OF THE PALESTINE PROBLEM THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE MAJORITY OF PALESTINIANS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED UPON THEM.
DECLARING JEWISH IMMIGRATION THREATENS TO REDUCE THE ARABS TO A MINORITY STATUS IN THEIR OWN FATHERLAND, THE IRAQI DIPLOMAT ASSERTED THAT THE BALFOUR DECLARATION AND THE MANDATE OVER PALESTINE WERE CONTRARY TO ARTICLE 22 OF THE LEAGUE COVENANT.
IRAQ, HE EXPLAINED, IS INTERESTED IN THE PALESTINE QUESTION BECAUSE THE PALESTINE ARABS ARE OF THE SAME RACE AND ALSO BECAUSE DISORDERS IN THE HOLY LAND ADVERSELY AFFECT IRAQ. DESPITE ANGLO-IRAQI FRIENDSHIP, HE CONCLUDED, HE MUST PROTEST AGAINST BRITISH POLICY IN PALESTINE.
(IRAQ, KINGDOM BOUND SINCE 1930 BY A TREATY OF AMITY AND ALLIANCE TO GREAT BRITAIN, WAS UNDER MANDATE TO GREAT BRITAIN BETWEEN 1920 AND 1930.)
THE IRAQ FOREIGN MINISTER’S DECLARATION WAS MADE TO A SPARSELY-ATTENDED ASSEMBLY SESSION. HE REFERRED TO IRAQ’S DECLARATION TO THE LEAGUE IN AUGUST AND CONTINUED WITH THE HOPE THAT FORTHCOMING NEGOTIATIONS WOULD RESULT IN A SOLUTION OF THE PALESTINE QUESTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEAGUE COVENANT AND ARAB RIGHTS.
ADDRESSING THE ASSEMBLY SATURDAY, THE EGYPTIAN REPRESENTATIVE, WASYF BUTIARAS GHALI PASHA, ASSAILED THE PARTITION PLAN AS A BREACH OF BRITAIN’S PROMISES TO THE ARABS.
THE PLAN, THE EGYPTIAN DIPLOMAT ASSERTED, NEITHER SOLVES THE PEACE PROBLEM IN PALESTINE NOR THE WORLD JEWISH QUESTION. HE CHARGED IT WOULD SIMPLY CREATE TWO HOSTILE STATES IN THE HOLY LAND.
WASYF BUTIARAS EXPRESSED SYMPATHY WITH THE JEWS SUFFERING PERSECUTIONS BUT POINTED OUT THAT EUROPEAN INTOLERANCE DID NOT JUSTIFY TAKING AWAY OF ARAB TERRITORY.
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