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Text of 8-point Resolution on Which Congress Votes Today

August 11, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE MAJORITY RESOLUTION INTRODUCED AT THE TWENTIETH BIENNIAL WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS:

“ONE THE ZIONIST CONGRESS SOLEMNLY REAFFIRMS THE HISTORIC CONNECTION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE WITH PALESTINE AND ITS INALIENABLE RIGHT TO ITS HOMELAND.

“TWO. THE CONGRESS TAKES NOTE OF THE FINDINGS OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION IN REGARD TO THE FOLLOWING FUNDAMENTAL MATTERS:

“FIRST, THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE MANDATE, EXPRESSED IN ITS PREAMBLE AND ARTICLES, IS TO PROMOTE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH NATIONAL HOME;

“SECONDLY, THE FIELD IN WHICH THE JEWISH NATIONAL HOME WAS TO BE ESTABLISHED WAS UNDERSTOOD AT THE TIME OF THE BALFOUR DECLARATION TO BE THE WHOLE OF HISTORIC PALESTINE, INCLUDING TRANS JORDAN.

“THIRDLY, INHERENT IN THE BALFOUR DECLARATION IS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE EVOLUTION OF PALESTINE INTO A JEWISH STATE;

“FOURTHLY, JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN PALESTINE CONFERRED A SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT ON THE ARAB POPULATION AND HAS BEEN TO THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE OF THE ARABS AS A WHOLE.

“THREE. THE CONGRESS REJECTS THE CONCLUSION OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION THAT THE NATIONAL ASPIRATIONS OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE ARABS IN PALESTINE ARE IRRECONCILABLE. THE MAIN OBSTACLES TO COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES HAS BEEN THE GENERAL UNCERTAINTY WHICH, AS STATED IN THE REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION, PREVAILED IN REGARD TO THE ULTIMATE INTENTION OF THE MANDATORY POWER AND THE VACILLATING ATTITUDE OF THE PALESTINE ADMINISTRATION. THESE ENGENDERED A LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE DETERMINATION AND ABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT THE MANDATE.

“THE CONGRESS REAFFIRMS ON THIS OCCASION THE DECLARATION OF PREVIOUS CONGRESSES EXPRESSING THE READINESS OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE TO REACH A PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT WITH THE ARABS OF PALESTINE BASED ON THE FREE DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH RACES AND THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS.

“THE CONGRESS REJECTS THE ASSERTION OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION THAT THE MANDATE PROVED UNWORKABLE AND DEMANDS ITS FULFILLMENT. THE CONGRESS DIRECTS THE EXECUTIVE TO RESIST ANY INFRINGEMENT OF THE RIGHTS OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, INTERNATIONALLY GUARANTEED BY THE BALFOUR DECLARATION AND THE MANDATE.

“FOUR. THE CONGRESS CONDEMNS THE PALLIATIVE PROPOSALS OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION AS A POLICY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE MANDATE, SUCH AS CURTAILMENT OF IMMIGRATION, FIXING THE ECONOMIC ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY, CLOSING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY TO JEWISH SETTLEMENT, ETC. THOSE RESTRICTIONS ARE A TRAVESTY ON THE MANDATE AND A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL PLEDGES, AND THEY WOULD PROVE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEWISH NATIONAL HOME.

“FIVE. THE CONGRESS ENTERS THE STRONGEST PROTEST AGAINST THE DECISION OF THE GOVERNMENT TO FIX THE POLITICAL MAXIMUM FOR JEWISH IMMIGRATION IN ALL CATEGORIES FOR THE NEXT EIGHT MONTHS, THUS SWEEPING AWAY THE PRINCIPLE OF ECONOMIC ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY IN VIOLATION OF JEWISH RIGHTS AND UNDERTAKINGS REPEATEDLY GIVEN IN THIS REGARD BY THE GOVERNMENT AND CONFIRMED BY THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

“SIX. THE CONGRESS DECLARES THAT THE SCHEME OF PARTITION PUT FORWARD BY THE ROYAL COMMISSION IS UNACCEPTABLE.

“SEVEN. THE CONGRESS EMPOWERS THE EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH A VIEW TO ASCERTAINING THE PRECISE PURPOSE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE.

“EIGHT. THAT IN SUCH NEGOTIATIONS THE EXECUTIVE DO NOT COMMIT EITHER ITSELF OR THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION, BUT IN THE EVENT OF THE EMERGENCE OF A DEFINITE SCHEME FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE SUCH SCHEME SHALL BE BROUGHT BEFORE A NEWLY-ELECTED CONGRESS FOR CONSIDERATION AND A DECISION.”

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