Text of British Cabinet’s Statement of Policy Cabinet Approves Division; Limits “interim” Jewish Ent

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S STATEMENT OF POLICY ON THE PARTITIONING OF PALESTINE, ISSUED TONIGHT:

1. HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, BY DIRECTION OF HIS MAJESTY, HAS CONSIDERED THE UNANIMOUS REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON PALESTINE.

THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE ARGUMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE COMMISSION.

2. AS HAS BEEN FULLY RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMISSIONERS IN THEIR HISTORICAL SURVEY, HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT AND THEIR PREDECESSORS, SINCE THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE MANDATE WERE ACCEPTED, HAVE TAKEN THE VIEW WHICH THE TENOR OF THE MANDATE ITSELF IMPLIES, THAT THEIR OBLIGATIONS TOWARD THE ARABS AND TOWARD THE JEWS RESPECTIVELY WERE NOT INCOMPATIBLE, ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IN THE PROCESS OF TIME THE TWO RACES WOULD SO ADJUST THEIR NATIONAL ASPIRATIONS AS TO RENDER POSSIBLE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SINGLE COMMONWEALTH UNDER A UNITARY GOVERNMENT.

ENCOURAGED COOPERATION

3. DESPITE MANY DISCOURAGING EXPERIENCES IN THE PAST SEVENTEEN YEARS, HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT HAS BASED ITS POLICY ON THIS EXPECTATION AND HAS TAKEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY OF ENCOURAGING COOPERATION BETWEEN THE ARABS AND THE JEWS. IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE AND OF THE ARGUMENTS ADDUCED BY THE COMMISSION THEY ARE DRIVEN TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE IS AN IRRECONCILABLE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE ARABS AND THE JEWS, THAT THESE ASPIRATIONS CANNOT BE SATISFIED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE PRESENT MANDATE AND THAT THE SCHEME OF PARTITION RECOMMENDED BY THE COMMISSION REPRESENTS THE BEST AND MOST HOPEFUL SOLUTION OF THE DEADLOCK. HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT PROPOSE TO ADVISE HIS MAJESTY ACCORDINGLY.

4. HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT THEREFORE PROPOSE TO TAKE SUCH STEPS AS NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE, HAVING REGARD TO EXISTING TREATY OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE COVENANT OF THE LEAGUE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS TO OBTAIN FREEDOM TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE SCHEME OF PARTITION, FOR WHICH WE EARNESTLY HOPE IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO SECURE AN EFFECTIVE MEASURE OF CONSENT ON THE PART OF THE COMMUNITIES CONCERNED.

THREATENS MARTIAL LAW

5. PENDING ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH A SCHEME, HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT HAVE NO INTENTION OF SURRENDERING RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEACE, ORDER AND GOOD GOVERNMENT OVER PALESTINE. THEY ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE MATTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY. IF DISORDERS AGAIN BREAK OUT SERIOUS ENOUGH TO REQUIRE MILITARY INTERVENTION, THE HIGH COMMISSIONER WILL DELEGATE HIS POWERS WITH RESPECT TO THE WHOLE COUNTRY, UNDER PALESTINE’S ORDERS IN COUNCIL, TO THE OFFICER COMMANDING THE MILITARY FORCES.

6. FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE, WHILE THE FORM OF THE SCHEME OF PARTITION IS BEING WORKED OUT, HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT PROPOSE AS AN INTERIM MEASURE THAT STEPS BE TAKEN TO PROHIBIT ANY LAND TRANSACTIONS WHICH MIGHT PREJUDICE SUCH A SCHEME.

JEWISH IMMIGRATION LIMITED FOR 8 MONTHS

FURTHER, SINCE THE PERIOD OF THE CURRENT LABOR SCHEDULE EXPIRES AT THE END OF JULY AND SOME PROVISIONS MUST BE MADE FOR THE ENSUING PERIOD, WE PROPOSE A TOTAL JEWISH IMMIGRATION IN ALL CATEGORIES OF EIGHT THOUSAND PERSONS BE PERMITTED FOR THE EIGHT MONTHS FROM AUGUST, 1937, TO MARCH, 1938, PROVIDED THE ECONOMIC ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY OF THE COUNTRY IS NOT EXCEEDED.

7. IN SUPPORTING PARTITION, HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT IS MUCH IMPRESSED BY THE ADVANTAGES IT OFFERS THE ARABS AND JEWS.

THE ARABS WILL OBTAIN NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND ARE DELIVERED FROM ALL FEAR OF JEWISH DOMINATION AND FROM ANXIETY LEST THE HOLY PLACES COME UNDER JEWISH CONTROL. THE ARAB STATE WILL RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT AND FROM THE JEWISH STATE.

ZIONIST “PRIMARY OBJECTIVE” SEEN ATTAINED

PARTITION WILL ALSO SECURE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JEWISH NATIONAL HOME AND RELIEVE IT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING SUBJECTED IN THE FUTURE TO ARAB RULE. IT WOULD CONVERT THE JEWISH NATIONAL HOME INTO A JEWISH STATE WITH FULL CONTROL OVER IMMIGRATION. ITS NATIONALS WOULD ACQUIRE A STATUS SIMILAR TO THE NATIONALS OF OTHER COUNTRIES. THE JEWS AT LAST WOULD CEASE TO LIVE A “MINORITY LIFE” AND THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF ZIONISM WOULD THUS BE ATTAINED.

UNDER THE PROPOSED TREATIES THE RIGHTS OF MINORITIES IN BOTH STATES WOULD BE STRICTLY GUARANTEED. ABOVE ALL, FEAR AND SUSPICION WOULD BE REPLACED BY A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND SECURITY AND BOTH PEOPLES WOULD ATTAIN “THE INESTIMABLE BOON OF PEACE.”