League Council Confirms Mandates Commission’s Report on Palestine

The Council of the League of Nations at its opening session here today disposed of one of the two questions of Jewish interest included on its agenda.

The Council received and approved the report of the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations adopted at its November session, when it reviewed the situation in Palestine after it received a petition from the anti-Zionist Palestine Arab Executive, one from the Zionist Executive and from 44 other Jewish organizations in all parts of the world, protesting against the interference of the British police in Jerusalem with the Jewish worshippers at the Wailing Wall on the Day of Atonement on September 24, 1928.

Concerning the demand voiced in the Arab petition for the creation in Palestine of a parliament, the Mandates Commission stated that it considers the question beyond its competence. The business of the Permanent Mandates Commission is to examine whether or not the Mandatory Power is applying the principles of the mandate in its administration of the territory. The commission, however, cannot undertake to dictate to the Mandatory Power as to the form of government it is to in- (Continued on Page 4)

With regard to the Wailing Wall issue, the Permanent Mandates Commission expressed its regret at the occurrence of the incidents and declared that it “takes into cognizance with satisfaction and assurance that the Government of Palestine is working toward bringing about an understanding between the parties.” The Commission expressed the hope that the government will succeed in pacifying the spirits of those engaged in the controversy and that “no party, through unreasonable demands or intolerance, will interfere with the public peace and order.”

The Rapporteur, M. Procope, related that of the forty-four petitions received from Jewish organizations in various countries, only the petition of the Zionist Organization concerning the Wailing Wall issue was examined. He proposed that the decisions of the Mandates Commission with regard to this matter be communicated to all the petitioners. This proposal was accepted.

Simultaneously with the adoption of the report by the Council of the League of Nations, the minutes of the November session of the Mandates Commission were made public containing many interesting details in regard to the Palestine situation.

The question relating to national minorities and the method of procedure to be followed in submitting petitions in which a change is demanded, is scheduled to come up during the Council’s session.