Between the Lines

The order issued yesterday by the governor of Cyprus prohibiting the sale of land to Jews without his approval, is the best proof that England is very cautious when it comes to the settlement of Jews in countries not distant from Palestine.

Many Jewish capitalists in Palestine recently have been reprimanded more than once by the Hebrew press for investing their capital in Cyprus. Old residents of Palestine, they nevertheless displayed great interest in Cyprus by acquiring land there.

The transfer of Jewish capital from Palestine to Cyprus, though provoking criticism, continued to increase. It reached a point where not only Palestine Jews but even British Jews began to consider Cyprus as a place for profitable investments. Only recently a group of British Jews acquired three thousand dunam of land in Cyprus for the purpose of planting orange trees there.

PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT

The stimulus for investing money in Cyprus came not from the fact that Cyprus is so near to Palestine, but was due to the preferential treatment given by England to products from Cyprus. Oranges imported from Cyprus to England are not dutiable, while Palestine oranges are. The same is true with regard to other articles produced or manufactured in Cyprus. The market of the British Empire is open to goods from Cyprus, but is restricted for articles from Palestine.

It is thus no wonder that Jews in Palestine and in London, though good Zionists, preferred to make their investments in Cyprus rather than in Palestine. Especially since it is heard on every side that a crisis in Palestine is inevitable.

Fear was therefore expressed in Palestine that unless the situation changes, Jewish capitalists from Germany and Poland might follow in the steps of those Jews in England and in Palestine who are making large investments in Cyprus. The Palestine Hebrew press, irritated by the “boom” stimulated for Cyprus, has stated point blank that this “boom” may prove a competition to the Jewish up-building work in Palestine.

ENDS APPREHENSIONS

The law passed yesterday in Cyprus, prohibiting the sale of land without the approval of the British governor of Cyprus, puts an end to these fears. It makes clear that the Jews, even with their capital, are {SPAN}##om{/SPAN} the viewpoint of British interests not at all desirable. It indicates that Britain would forego the development of Cyprus rather than permit a Jewish influence there. It shows that the British government is inclined to prevent any Jewish expansion in countries neighboring to Palestine.

The law adopted in Cyprus is another illustration of the watchful policy which Britain has adopted towards the Jews, despite the great benefit which it has from the Jewish upbuilding work in Palestine.