There is room for a large Jewish immigration to Transjordania and Jews should explicitly state their claim upon Transjordania, which they haven’t given up, according to an article written by Rabbi Abraham in “Ha’aretz” of last week.
Although it is difficult to obtain statistical material about Transjordania, the Jews could, according to the article, employ the same method as that which was employed by the French in Algeria and Tunis, namely, that of drawing conclusions as to the present possibilities of the country from the result of archaeological researches as to the number of people who lived there in ancient times. When one takes into consideration the size of the amphitheatres that have been dug up in Transjordanian towns, one must come to the conclusion, according to Rabbi Abraham, that there is still room in that country for a very large immigration, even when one bears in mind not only the present population, but also the natural population growth during the next generation.
It is reasonable to expect, he continues further, “that we will be told that an intensive Jewish colonization will rob the Bedouins of their pasture lands and that when we dry up the swamps the preparation of straw mats by the Bedouins will suffer.” Nevertheless, if Simpson really wishes to solve the immigration and land questions, he should spend a large part of his time in Transjordania, thinks the writer, who declares that in any case the Jews are in duty bound to gather the information and statistics necessary in this regard.
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