THE PALESTINE PROBLEM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23263, 4 February 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE PALESTINE PROBLEM

Arab Movement future of Palestine will 1 shortly be discussed in London -A- by delegations representative of the whole Arab world and of British and American Jewry. The fact that the neighbouring States of Egypt, Irak, Saudi-Arabia, the Yemen and Transjordan will be represented indicates the scope of the conference, which lifts the question from its immediate boundaries. It is evident that the British Government acknowledges the right of all Arab opinion to be heard. Secretary-General of the Palestine Arab delegation, which represents all hut the National Defence Party, is Mr. George Antonius. whose book, "The Arab Awakening,•' which has just been published, will at this moment command very wide attention. distinguished author of "The Ihree Deserts," Major G. Jarvis, an acknowledged authority on the Arab question, has reviewed Mr. Antonius' book with approval. As Mr. Antonius points out in lijs foreword to "The Arab Awakening," says Major Jarvis, the full story of tho Arab - Movement has never been told before, because writers of Arab histories have relied entirely on Arab sources for their information, while works published in European languages have been based 011 Western cvidei.~e. Mr. Antonius. however, is in the happy position of being able to tap all sources without tho help of a translator,, and he has also had tho benefit of having had access to many secret Arab documents. As a Palestine Arab his native tongue is Arabic, though after one has read a few pages of his cultured and easy style one has some difficulty in believing this. "Arab" Defined In the opening chapter Mr. Antonius defines the connotation of the word "Arab." It is 110 longer used to denote a member of the nomad tribes of Arabia but has gradually come to mean a citizen of that extensive Arab world whose racial descent has become Eubmerged in the tide of Arabisation — whose manners and traditions have been stamped in the Arab mould; and whoso mother tongue is Arabic." A definite statement like this does much to clear the air of unnecessary verbiage aimed at proving Arab descent, and is after all a reasonable and sensible argument. The book recounts the Arab Movement toward self-determination from its ' inception during the invasion of Syria by Ibrahim Pasha, and follows it through the stormy days of the Young Turks in Constantinople and Anatolia.. It brings us to the Arab Bevolt under Feisal and Lawrence, . and then deals with tho aftermath with particular attention to .Palestine and the existing impasse in this country. Difficult to Find Flaws As a Palestinian Mr. Antonius' sympathies are naturally with his own people, but he advances the Arab case in an eminently fair and reasonable manner, and it is extremely. difficult to find any flaws in his statements and opinions. Facts are facts, and Mr. Antonius marshals them in a most able manner, putting them forward in orderly array aud expressing himself in easy and lucid prose. Those who feel with some reason that they have had more than enough of Palestinian literature during the last two years must make an exception in the case of "The Arab Awakening," for this is a good book written by a scholar, an expert on the subject, and a resident in the country. Mr. Antonius writes so well and drives his argiiments home with such vigour and straightforwardness that one has an uncomfortable feeling about many things such as the MacMahouHussein letters, the Svkes-Picot Agreement, and the Declaration to the Mysterious Seven in Cairo. All of these translated into good English are in the appendix, but even Mr. Antonius' scholarly stylo fails to make them particularly clear, and in the delineation of the new Arab States as defined by King Hussein it would seem that the Arabs would be in their rights if they claimed that Sinai Peninsula —an integral part of Egypt. This knotty point could Only be decided by an expert marine cartographer who could state whether the continuation of the lied Sea is the well-known Gulf of Suez or the insignificant Gulf of Akaba. If he gives his vote for the former then Sinai is undoubtedly in the area to be handed over to Arab rule. This will give some idea of the loose wording and haphazard frontier delineation in these famous letters. The Sinai Campaign In his account of the Arab revolt, Mr. Antonius naturally endeavours to ! give the Arabs their full share of the j credit for the overthrow of the Turkish j armies, and on the whole he is do- j finitely fair and impartial. It is, how- j ever, a flight of tho imagination to j state that the Turks withdrew from ; the Sinai Peninsula in 1916 because of the Arab threat to their left flank, and he is being unjust to the Anzacs and the Imperial Camel Corps in attributing the Turkish defeat at Magdaba, to the defection of a large body of Arab troops who came over to our side. Arabs took 110 part whatsoever in these operations, except as shadowy figures on the battlefields after dark, j and Magdaba was a hard-fought | soldiers' engagement won by British and Dominion privates, and no one , else. This, however, is the only com- j ' plaint we have to make in a review j ; on a very excellent and extremely : able book. ' I ;

_ The following .summing-up of tho situation as regards tho .Jewish question gives some idea of its quality and soundness:—

"The treatment meted out to Jews in other countries is a disgrace to its authors and to modern civilisation; hut posterity will not exonerate any country that fails to hear its proper share, of sacrifices needed to alleviate Jewish suffering and distress. To place the brunt of the burden upon Arab Palestine is a miserable evasion of the duty that lies upon the whole civilised world." "The Arab A wakening," by George Autonius. (Hamisli Hamilton.)