CHANGE IN POLICY

Hawera Star, Volume L, 23 October 1930, Page 10

CHANGE IN POLICY

JEWS AND PALESTINE

DR. WEIZMANN'S PROTEST

IUtKIsU OIIU.UH Wireless.) RUGBY, Oct. 21. .The statement ot the Government s policy in Palestine, published simultaneously with the report ot ten- John Hopei Simpson oil immigration, lana settlement and development m Palestine will, it is recognised, disappoint the more extreme elements among both Jews and Arabs. As it consequence of the statement i Dr Weizmann, president of the Jewish Agency and Zionist Organisation, has decided to resign, and a letter to the Secretary for the Colonies, conveving tills ‘intimation, -is published. Dr Weizmann contends that the Government’s statement effects a profound change Jit the policy of IJ2J, differs on material points from the Simpson Report, and moves a long way toward delaying the rights and sterilising the hopes of the Jewish people in regard to a national home m Palestine. Regret is expressed in Palestine at Dr Weizmann’-s- decision, and hopes are entertained that calm thought will modify his passionate judgment. The “Daily Herald” points out that “Tne Government is bound by the mandate and! by its own pledges both to secure the establishment of a Jewish national home and to safeguard the rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine. That is a double undertaking, and one part of it must not bring with it the violation of the other. The establishment of Jews in Palestine cannot imply the expulsion of Arabs or the subordination of Arabs.” “The Times” says that with regard to the Jewish protest, the statement, when studied impartially, does not more than affirm the necessity of limiting Jewish immigration to the absorptive capacity of the country, where unemployment is increasing and there is not enough land —after the habitation of the area already in Jewish hands—for the original inhabitants.

The “Manchester Guardian” criticises the policy insofar as it involves the arrested development of the establishment of a Jewish national home, and deplores the resignation of Hr Weizmann, to whom it pays, a, warm tribute. The bold experiments which are promised in the constitutional field are. however, welcomed, and .the newspaper points out that the methods of election to the Legislative Council will safeguard two minority groups, the Jews and Christians. Meanwhile, the scheme seems to give the Arabs all they can reasonably ask, particularly as on those matters of land and immigration the British Government, whose servants are nominated members, will hold views extremely favourable to the Arabs.

X FAY ZEALAND- PROTEST. AUCKLAND, Oct. 22. On behalf of New Zealand Jewry, the following cable has been dispatched tonight. to the Prime Minister, lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes: “Please convey to Mr Ramsay MacDonald and Lord Passfiekl a resolution of protest from New Zealand Jewry as loyal citizens of the British Efmnire and- lovers of England. We deeply deplore the changed attitude of the British Government to the establishment of a Jewish national homo in Palestine-. We regard the -Government White Paper as a violation of the fetter and spirit of the Balfour declaration and a breach of the repeated pledges made by successive British Governments and endorsed by all political parties; also bv the late Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey s£id the late Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward.”'