DISTURBANCES IN PALESTINE

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17984, 1 April 1930, Page 7

DISTURBANCES IN PALESTINE

REPORT OF IRE COMMISSION. ATTACK UPON JEWS BY ARABS IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS MADE. (United Press Association. —Electric Telegram.—Copyright.) (Received April 1, 1.20 p.m.) RUGBY, (March 31. The report of the Commission on Palestine disturbances of August was presented to Parliament to-day. The Commissioners came to the conclusion that from the beginning the outbreak was an attack upon Jews by Arabs, for which no excuse has been established. The few attacks by the Jews upon Arabs were mostly retaliatory. There is no proof that the heads of the Palestine Arab executive premeditated or organised the disturbances, as has been alleged. The outbreak neither was, nor was intended to be, a revolt against British authority. The Commission lias no serious criticism io make of Hie action taken by the Palestine Government, either immediately before or after the outbreak. ’They consider Hie Government lias throughout discharged lo the best of its ability the difficult task of maintaining impartiality between two peoples whose leaders have displayed little tendency to a compromise.

The Commission consider that Jewish enterprise and immigration, when not exceeding Hie country's absorptive capacity, have conferred material benefits on Palestine, which Arabs have shared but with regard lo immigration they consider the Jewish authorities have departed from the doctrine laid down in J 922, and accepted by Hie Zionist organisation, and that the Zionist claims have been calculated to create among the Arabs an apprehension of loss of livelihood ami political subjection. Evictions of Arabs. Attention is drawn to the number of evictions of Arab cultivators upon the sale of the land they occupied, without alternative land having been provided. Complaint is not made against Jewish land companies, who in some cases paid casli compensation and acted with the Government's knowledge, but an acute situation lias been produced, and a landless, discontented class is being created, which is a potential source of danger. It is urgent that some remedy be found for this situation. The Commission’s conclusion is that Palestine cannot support an increased agricultural population without radical changes in farming methods. It is believed that the difficulties of the Palestine Government are aggravated by Arab resentment at having no measure of selfgovernment, and having, uiflike Hie Jews, no direct access to His, Alajcsly’s Government. The reduction of the garrison in Palestine and TransJordan is considered to have been carried Loo far.' Fundamental Cause of Disturbances. 'The Commission considers that (lie fundamental cause of the disturbances was the animosity of the Arabs towards Jews, arising from the disappointment of their political and national aspirations, and fear for their economic future. The immediate causes were, repealed incidents in connection with the Wailing Wall provocative press articles on both sides, propaganda among the less educated Arabs, Hie Inadequacy of the military forces and police, and the belief among Hie Arabs that the Palestine 'Government's decisions could be influenced by political considerations. The primary recommendation of the Commission is that His Majesty's Government should issue immediately a statement of policy, and make plain their intention of carrying out that policy, with ait the resources at their command. Such a statement would be more valuable if it contained a clearly-defined interpretation by the British Government of the passages in the mandate safeguarding the rights of the non-Jewish communities, and laid down more explicit directions for

the guidance of the Palestine Government in the policy on vital issues, such as immigration and land. These recommendations are based largely on -the assumption that the proposed definition of policy will clearly state that the rights of nonJewish communities will he fully safeguardedit recommends that a clear statement bo issued of the future policy for the control of Jewish immigration, and that the administrative machinery be examined, with a view to preventing a repetition of the immigration of the years 1925-26. Machinery should lie devised for consulting flie non-Jewish interests on immigration questions. Scientific Inquiry. It is proposed that a scientific inquiry be held into the project of improved methods of cultivation being introduced. The land policy could then be regulated In the light of the results' of the inquiry. Meanwhile measures should be taken to check the present tendency towards the eviction of peasant* cultivators. The Government should consider means of providing poorer cultivators with credit facilities. No formal recommendation regarding constitutional developments is made, but attention is drawn to, the view already expressed in the report that the resentment of Arabs at their failure to obtain any measure of selfgovernment is aggravating the difficullies. The Commission recommended that a Commission be appointed to determine rights and claims in connections with llie Wailing Wall; that more effective control of press propaganda he considered; and that the British Government ro-aftirm that the special position assigned to the Zionist organisation does not entitle it to have a share in the government of Palestine. The existing garrison should he maintained for the present, and an independent inquiry he made into police organisations. Attached to the report is a note of reservation by Mr Snell, a member of the Commission, lie takes a more serious view of the responsibility of the Arab leaders for the disturbances, criticises the action of the Palestine Government in certain respects, and does not endorse the criticisms of the Jewish authorities regardinf immigration limits. Mr Snell recommends a more extensive land inquiry Ilian that contemplated by his colleagues. In emphasising the necessity of co-opcra-tion between Hie Jews and the Arabs he proposes that a few men of both races, of high character and influence, should meet and discuss the possibility of a common effort as a first step towards racial co-operation.