Friends of Palestine have succeeded in making it possible for Palestine to secure an important representation in the International Overseas Exhibition which is being opened in Paris in May, taking advantage of the invitation extended by the organisers to mandated territories to participate either together with their Mandatory Powers or independently.
The arrangements for the Palestine Section have been taken in hand by the France-Palestine Committee, of which Senator Justin Godart, a former Cabinet Minister, is President. M. Louis Ascher is President of the Paris Committee, and M. Jules Rosenheck is Commissioner-General, the members including M. Jacques Bigart, and Dr. Victor Jacobson. Senator Godart has visited Palestine and Mr. Mayer Dizengoff, the Mayor of Tel Aviv, who is President of the Palestine Committee which will select the exhibits, has been to Paris recently. The Jewish members of the Palestine Selection Committee include Mr. Hoofien, President of the Palestine Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Krause, Director of the Mikven Israel Agricultural School, Mr. Tolkowsky, Managing Director of the Jaffa Fruit Company, Mr. Mereminsky, member of the Executive of the Palestine Labour Federation, and Mr. Rosoff, Director of Palestine Potash, Ltd. The technical side of the Exhibit will be supervised by the Society of Commerce and Industry, and the collaboration of the Palestine Government has been promised by the High Commissioner.
Recalling in its general lines and proportions the famous Tomb of Rachel, the Palestine Pavilion will have its whiteness thrown up by an ornamentation of turquoise-blue, recalling the Mosque of Omar. The interior presents beneath the dome a great hall with the rooms of the exhibits opening out of it. One of these is devoted to the art of Palestine, ancient and modern. Celebrated collections all over the world have agreed to lend examples. In other rooms industry, agriculture, small crafts, schools, town-planning and improvements, electrification schemes and mineral wealth, will be illustrated by a large collection of photographs, sketches, and samples. Visitors will be able to sample Palestine wine and oranges. Little shops will offer souvenirs of the country. Jewish merchants will display silver filigree and pottery, and Arabs will sell carpets.
The Pavilion will aim at bringing home to the great international concourse flocking to the Exhibition, the organisers say, the rapid strides which are being made in the development of Palestine.
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