The British Government would welcome the participation of the United States in solving the Arab-Jewish problem in Palestine, it was indicated here today by non-Jewish observers interested in the question of Arab-Jewish relations and in the post-war status of Palestine.
These observers, as well as many Arabs, believe that the fate of Palestine after the war will not be decided by Britain alone. They are convinced that the United States will play an important role in the settlement of Arab-Jewish relations in Palestine which is still a mandated territory. The Arabs are, therefore, mobilizing all their forces to influence American diplomats in the Arab countries and to make their views known in Washington through the diplomats of Arab countries in the United States.
American observers who study the situation in Palestine on the spot all come to the same conclusion: that the country is far ahead of the rest of the Middle East in modern developments and this is due to Jewish enterprise. These observers find that Jewish-owned industry in Palestine has made a remarkable contribution to the Allied war effort. Tens of millions of dollars of Jewish-manufactured goods have gone to the Allies, while Jewish technicians and scientists have contributed in an important degree to the Mid-Eastern offensive and defensive power. They also find that Arabs still own the majority of citrus orchards in the country.
At the same time, neutral observers here warn that Palestine’s present industrial boom is due to war-time restrictions in other countries and that many war industries will be liquidated after the war. Arabs assert that much of the Jewish-manufactured products is now going to Arab countries which, they say, will boycott Jewish goods after the war if the Palestine question is not solved satisfactorily.
Despite all the Arab propaganda, American non-Jewish students of the Palestine situation cannot help but admit openly that the Jews have made a success of their venture and that what they have accomplished would recommend them as immigrants to any country in the world. Some of them are inclined to agree with the Jewish point of view that despite Palestine’s lack of raw materials, it can become the industrial Switzerland of the Middle East through hard work and specialized training.
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.
