PALESTINE ARABS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIII, Issue 9787, 1 February 1923, Page 8

PALESTINE ARABS.

PRO-TURK DEMONSTRATIONS. There is no denying that the success of Mustapha Kemal, the Turkish Nationalist leader, in Asia Minor has had an effect in Palestine, as it has in Syria and in all Moslem countries, writes a Jerusalem correspondent of the "Daily Mail." The outward signs of this were to be seen in pro-Turk demonstrations in certain towns, in special prayer meetings in the mosques, and in the collection of subscriptions for the Turkish cause. There are extremists who openly preach that the return of the Turk would be the best thing that could happen, and no doubt these extremists have a certain following. It should be realised, however, that this cry for the return of the Turk is in reality only another form of the cry. for the removal of the Jew. No Arab could seriously believe that he would have greater independence under the Turk that he has now under the /British, and indeed some of the leaders of the Moslem Christian Association (which supplies the anti-Gov-ernment propagandists) themselves suffered very bad treatment at the hands of the Turks not so very long ago. It is certain, moreover, that the fellah—the peasant farmer —would be very unlikely to welcome the return of the Turk, and he is not easily persuaded that the new Turks are essentially different from those who ruled—or misruled— this country before.

The pro-Turk enthusiasm, such as it is, is nothing more than another form of expression of the Arab's antipathy to the British policy of the establishment of a Jewish Nationalist Home in Palestine.

The Palestine correspondent of El Ahram (one of the leading Arabic pa? pers in Egypt), in summing up.what measures the Arabs shoiild take to attain their goal, recommends:— (1) The employment of all possible efforts in Europe,. America, and Moslem countries to awaken a general feeling against the Jewish National Home in Palestine.

(2) The stirring ur> of a general Arab rising in Palestine against the Zionist Administration. If they succeed, then, England will be compelled to reconsider.her policy in Palestine. (9) The r'sing of the peorjW of> •sJI Arabic countries as a solid; block against foreign influence.