PALESTINE SITUATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 124, 29 April 1925, Page 11

PALESTINE SITUATION.

DEPUTATION OF ARABS. COLONIAL SECRETARY’S STATEMENT. JERUSALEM, April 26. The Colonial Secretary, Mr L. C. M. S. Ainery, met a representative Arab deputation, which drew his attention to the serious situation in Palestine and begged him to consider their case. Tlio Sheik Suleiman Faroukhv, president of the National Party, explained the grievances of the Arabs, who, lie said, wore loyal to Britain. He said that the Baifonr declaration was oppressive and the country dying economically, because wealth was leaving it. The Arabs had no share in legislation, whereas under the Turkish regime they had a large share in the Government. He concluded by saying that the Palestinians desired to live peacefully in Palestine as natives, not foreigners. Following Faroukliy, Amin Bey Tamimi declared that the Arabs were much better off under the Turkish regime, Britain had not fulfilled her promises to the Arabs. The Arabs demanded a representative Government, responsible to a Parliament elected by the people on a constitution established by a national council, including legislative and administrative powers. He asked that the sacred places should be under the protection of the inhabitants with equality of rights for all elements and protection of British interests compatibly with the nation’s interests.

Mr Anier.v, in his reply, said that the British Government held that there was no incompatibility between ArabBritish co-operation and the Balfour declaration. Britain’s object was to ensure that Palestine should be a “national home” for Arabs in every sense equally with Jews. Tlio. expression “National Home for Jews” meant nothing more than that the existing Jewish communities should be able to fulfil their desire to live their own cultural life and have the opportunity for development, and this should ho definitely recognised as a right and not a sufferance.

The British Government looked, first of all, to the prosperity of the population, of which the great majority were Arab, and was only concerned with Jewish settlement so far as to see that it received fair conditions. The increase in the prosperity of the country was proved by the fact that the population of Palestine was now 806.000, including 108,000 Jews, compared with 673,000, including 55,000 Jews, in 1920; therefore, there was no fear that the local population would bo outnumbered by Jewish immigration. He emphasised his conviction that tlio Arabs had been ill-advised in refusing opportunities for consultation and representation. The Government was anxious to secure the co-operation and advice of all representative Arabs, but was not asking this as a favour. The Arabs now had the opportunity of becoming a great nation again, provided that they concentrated on their own development, and not on mistaken fears of the Government’s policy.— Reuter.