VISIONS OF THE FIRST JEWISH STATE IN PALESTINE SINCE THE TIME OF EMPEROR TITUS TOOK ON SUBSTANCE TODAY AS DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION WHICH IS HOLDING ITS TWENTIETH BIENNIAL CONGRESS HERE, ANNOUNCED HIS READINESS TO CONSIDER THE PRINCIPLE OF PARTITION.
ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRINCIPLE, HOWEVER, WAS COUPLED BY DR. WEIZMANN WITH EMPHATIC REJECTION OF THE SCHEME AS GIVEN SHAPE BY THE BRITISH ROYAL COMMISSION IN ITS REPORT OF JULY 8, IN WHICH IT ALLOTTED ONE-THIRD OF PALESTINE TO THE JEWS, THE REMAINING TWO-THIRDS TO BE ANNEXED TO THE TRANSJORDAN AS AN ARAB STATE, AND A CORRIDOR FROM JERUSALEM TO THE MEDITERRANEAN UNDER BRITISH MANDATE.
SUCH A PLAN, DR. WEIZMANN DECLARED, WAS UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ACCEPTABLE.
A FIGHT AGAINST DR. WEIZMANN’S PROPOSAL WAS IMMEDIATELY PROCLAIMED BY MENACHEM M. USSISHKIN, VETERAN ZIONIST LEADER, IN A STIRRING ADDRESS BEFORE THE AFTERNOON SESSION. MR. USSISHKIN HAD BEEN EARLIER UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE CONGRESS BY ACCLAMATION.
ASKS PARLEY POWER FOR EXECUTIVE
DR. WEIZMANN SAID A RESOLUTION WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE CONGRESS EMPOWERING THE EXECUTIVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ON THESE TWO MAJOR PRINCIPLES:
1.– WOULD THE PARTITION SCHEME HELP THE JEWS TO CREATE A JEWISH LIFE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY IN THE MANNER THAT JEWS UNDERSTAND?
2.– WOULD IT BE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE JEWISH PROBLEM, WHICH HAS BECOME MOST SERIOUS IN MANY COUNTRIES?
“IF A PARTITION SCHEME WHICH CAN ANSWER THESE TWO QUESTIONS IS SUGGESTED,” DR. WEIZMANN SAID, “THEN IT IS THE DUTY OF THE CONGRESS TO GIVE A CLEAR ANSWER TO THIS SCHEME.”
THE VETERAN ZIONIST LEADER’S SPEECH, BEING HAILED HERE AS ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT IN HIS CAREER, WAS FREQUENTLY INTERRUPTED BY STORMY APPLAUSE.
CONTINUING WHERE HE LEFT OFF YESTERDAY IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS, DR. WEIZMANN SCORED THE PALESTINE ADMINISTRATION, CHARGING IT WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 1936 DISORDERS AND WITH IMPEDING ARAB-JEWISH PEACE BY ADOPTING A POLICY OF ENCOURAGING ARAB EXTREMISTS AND ALSO INFLUENCING THE ROYAL COMMISSION VIEW THAT THE MANDATE WAS UNWORKABLE.
SEES BRITISH PRESTIGE RUINED BY PALESTINE REGIME
THE PALESTINE ADMINISTRATION RUINED BRITISH IMPERIAL PRESTIGE, DR. WEIZMANN CHARGED. CERTAIN ARAB LEADERS WERE WILLING TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE JEWS, BUT SEEING HOW THE PALESTINE ADMINISTRATION TREATED THE JEWS, THEY LOST INTEREST, THE ZIONIST PRESIDENT ASSERTED.
“IN NO PART OF THE EMPIRE COULD SUCH SIX MONTHS OF TROUBLE OCCUR,” HE SAID.
URGING BRITAIN TO GIVE THE JEWS “A SQUARE DEAL BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT,” DR. WEIZMANN ANNOUNCED THAT THE WORLD ZIONIST EXECUTIVE WOULD DO ALL IN ITS POWER TO FIGHT PROPOSED RESTRICTIONS ON IMMIGRATION AND SALE OF LAND TO JEWS.
BITTERLY ASSAILS SAMUEL FOR PLAN
HE TURNED WITH FURY ON LORD SAMUEL’S PROPOSALS THAT THE JEWS BE MADE A MINORITY IN PALESTINE, DECLARING VISCOUNT SAMUEL “SPOKE AS AN ENGLISH LORD AND NOT AS A JEW” AND THAT “HE DID NOT FIND A SINGLE WORD TO PICTURE THE JEWISH TRAGEDY ALTHOUGH HE IS CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL FOR GERMAN JEWRY.”
“WE DO NOT NEED THE ADVICE OF SAMUEL TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ARABS,” SAID DR.WEIZMANN. “WE HAVE ALWAYS EXPRESSED OUR READINESS FOR AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THE ARABS. SAMUEL’S ADVICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TOWARD THE ARABS, NOT TO US.”
ASSERTING THAT THE GRAND MUFTI AND FAWZI BEY EL KAUKAJI, SYRIAN TERRORIST LEADER, DID NOT REPRESENT ALL THE ARABS, DR. WEIZMANN SAID “THERE IS AN ARAB NATION WITH GLORIOUS TRADITIONS TO WHICH WE EXTEND OUR HAND ON CONDITION THEY RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO REBUILD PALESTINE AS A NATIONAL HOME WITHOUT INFLICTING DAMAGE ON ANYONE,” ADDING THAT “IF THIS IS RECOGNIZED WE WILL FIND A COMMON LANGUAGE.”
“THE JEWS MUST NOT FORGET THAT ENGLAND IS THE ONLY COUNTRY TRYING TO SOLVE THE JEWISH QUESTION,” HE ADMONISHED THE ZIONISTS. “PASSING DIFFICULTIES OF THE MOMENT SHOULD NOT INFLUENCE US. THE CONGRESS MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN A JEWISH MINORITY IN ALL OF PALESTINE AND A COMPACT JEWISH MAJORITY IN PART OF THE COUNTRY.”
USSISHKIN ACCEPTS PRINCIPLE OF STATEHOOD
IN HIS SPEECH MR. USSISHKIN ANNOUNCED, THAT WHILE HE ACCEPTED THE PRINCIPLE OF A JEWISH STATE “WHAT WE ARE OFFERED IS A JEWISH STATE IN NAME BUT NOT IN SUBSTANCE.”
MANY WILL SAY “NO” TO DR. WEIZMANN’S PROPOSAL TO EMPOWER THE NEW ZIONIST EXECUTIVE ELECTED BY THE CONGRESS TO NEGOTIATE WITH BRITAIN ON THE BASIS OF HIS TWO POINTS, MR. USSISHKIN DECLARED.
“THE AIM OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IS TO GET PALESTINE AS A WHOLE,” HE SAID. “THEY WILL NEVER GIVE UP ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY WHICH HAS BEEN PROMISED TO THEM UNDER THE MANDATE AND BELONGS TO THEM BY HISTORICAL RIGHT.
“IT IS IMMORAL THAT THE ARAB WORLD SHOULD HAVE MILLIONS OF ACRES OF LAND WHICH ARE NOT EVEN CULTIVATED AND THAT THE JEWS, PERSECUTED IN MANY COUNTRIES, SHOULD HAVE NOTHING.”
“OUR BORDERS,” MR. USSISHKIN DECLARED, “MUST BE FROM DAN TO BEERSHEBA (THE BIBLICAL LIMITS OF THE JEWISH NATION). WHAT WE DEMAND IS THAT THE MANDATE BE CARRIED OUT IN FULL AND THAT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR HAMPERING THIS BE PUNISHED.”
“NO MAJORITY WILL COMPEL US TO CHANGE OUR BELIEFS,” HE CONCLUDED. “WE SHALL NOT PERMIT PALESTINE TO BE CUT INTO TWO PARTS. WE SHALL NOT AGREE TO ANY COMPROMISE.
“THE OATH WHICH THE JEWS TOOK 2,000 YEARS AGO ON THE BANKS OF THE EUPHRATES–‘IF I FORGET THEE, O JERUSALEM, MAY MY RIGHT HAND FORGET’ — CANNOT BE VOIDED ON THE BANKS OF THE THAMES.”
ORMSBY-GORE ASKS “FAR-REACHING VIEWPOINT”
DR. WEIZMANN AT YESTERDAY’S SESSION READ A MESSAGE FROM WILLIAM G.A. ORMSBY-GORE, BRITISH COLONIAL SECRETARY, AS WELL AS GREETINGS FROM JOSEPH AVENOL, LEAGUE OF NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL; HAROLD BUTLER, OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE, AND OTHERS.
MR. ORMSBY-GORE DECLARED HE AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT “WILL STUDY THE RESULTS OF THIS IMPORTANT GATHERING WITH GREAT INTEREST.”
“WE HAVE REACHED THE TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY OF PALESTINE,” HE STATED. “I HOPE THIS GATHERING WILL MAKE ITS DECISIONS FROM A FAR-REACHING VIEWPOINT WHICH WILL RESULT IN PEACE, SOCIAL WELFARE AND GOOD ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL PALESTINE AND GOOD RELATIONS AMONG ALL COMMUNITIES WHOSE INTERESTS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE HOLY LAND.”
THE CONGRESS ADJOURNED THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING, WHEN IT WILL VOTE ON WHETHER TO CONTINUE IN PUBLIC OR GO INTO CLOSED SESSIONS.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
