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Russian Colonization Work Point of Criticism in Commons when Palestine Loan is Debated

December 5, 1926
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(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The Jewish colonization work in Soviet Russia was brought into the discussion in the House of Commons of the Palestine government amp;#163;4,500,000 loan, by Lt. Com. Kenworthy.

During the debate, Kenworthy taunted the British government, declaring that “the wicked Bolsheviks are giving land to the Jews in Crimea for nothing. The Soviet government is also lending money for that purpose. However, I believe that the call of Palestine is too strong to the Jews for the Russian colonization to have any effect. Nevertheless, Russia’s action is such a contrast to the action of the British in Palestine, that it constitutes a slight danger to the Zionist effort,” he said.

Major Ormsby Gore, Understate Secretary of the Colonial Office, interjected that the Crimean land is given free because it is confiscated. “We are not confiscating land in Palestine,” he said.

Kenworthy replied that Mr. Ormsby Gore was misinformed. The land in the Crimea was not confiscated but was former crown property. “The British government has also former Ottoman crown property in Palestine, but is not putting it to the best use,” he stated.

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