U.S. Zionist Leaders Dissatisfied with Long Term Recommendations on Palestine

While describing as “most gratifying” the recommendation by the Anglo-American inquiry committee that 100,000 Palestine immigration certificates be allotted immediately to Jews in Europe who have suffered from Nazi and fascist persecution, Dr. Abba Hillel Silver and Stephen S. Wise, joint chairman of the Zionist Emergency Council, today pointed out that the report contains some recommendations for the permanent solution of the Palestine problem which “clearly deny Jewish historic rights and aspirations with respect to Palestine and can never be accepted by the Jewish people.”

Emphasizing that the removal of the 100,000 Jewish refugees to Palestine “is long overdue,” the statement says that President Truman is to be congratulated for having taken the initiative in “this great humanitarian effort,” and the Committee is to be commended for having fully endorsed his request.

“We note with satisfaction also that the mandatory government of Palestine is reminded of its obligations under the terms of the Mandate to facilitate Jewish immigration into Palestine after the first one hundred thousand are admitted,” the statement continues. “This is a rejection of the immigration restrictions of the White Paper of 1939. However, upon the perusal of the report, there are grave doubts left in our minds whether under the terms and conditions rather vaguely defined in the report, Jewish immigration into Palestine will actually be facilitated by the Government of Palestine.”

“We note with satisfaction too that it is recommended that the restrictions on land transfer contained in the White Paper of 1939 should be rescinded and replaced by regulations based on the policy of freedom of land sale irrespective of race and creed. Here, too, we are apprehensive that the qualifying provision that ‘adequate protection for the interest of small owners and tenant cultivators’ may again be used less in the interest of Arab cultivators than in an effort to restrict Jewish colonization and settlements. Insofar as these foregoing recommendations call for the abrogation of the universally condemned White Paper, they are most welcome.

“There are also recommendations for the permanent solution of the Palestine problem proposed by the Committee. These reach to the very core of our movement. Some of them clearly deny Jewish historic rights and aspirations with respect to Palestine and can never be accepted by the Jewish people.

“As to these, we note President Truman’s statement to the effect that ‘the report deals with many other questions of long-range political policies and questions of inter national law which require careful study and which I will take under advisement.’ In view of this statement and in the expectation that we shall have the fullest opportunity to be heard with respect to these vital and basic matters, we are withholding at this moment a further detailed comment in respect to them.

“There are other features in the report to which we cannot subscribe and criticisms which, in our judgment, are unwarranted. These necessitate further discussion and consideration.”