ARAB CLAIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 February 1939, Page 7

ARAB CLAIMS

STATED BY PRINCE HUSSEIN BALFOUR DECLARATION DENOUNCED.. DEMAND FOR INDEPENDENCE. (British Official Wireless.; (Received This Day, 10.48 a.m.) RUGBY, February 10. The statement of the Arab case made at the Palestine Conference by Prince Hussein emphasised that it had nothing in common with anti-Semitism and was not inspired by any hostility to the British people or ahy other people, but the Arabs felt that it was one of self-evident justice, resting on the natural right of a people to remain in undisturbed possession of their country, and their natural desire to safeguard their national existence and ensure that it should be secured and developed in freedom and in harmony with their traditions and ideals. Prince Hussein also made the point that up to the time of the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate,relations between the Arabs and Jews were peaceful arid friendly. After arguing that the policy pursued by the Mandatory Power in Palestine had proved the justice of the Arabs’ fears and contending that the l immigration of. Jews and Jewish land purchases had been on- a scale detrimental to the material interests of the Arab population, ne declared that the Arabs had never recognised and never would recognise the Balfour Declaration or

the Mandate, but in the eyes of the* Arabs the question was not primarily one of material interests, but first and foremost one of moral and political values. The Arab case was based on the fact that the policy hitherto,pursued in Palestine constituted a grave injustice to the Arab peopld, of a kind for which there was no parallel, and that until that injustice had been adequately redressed there would be no peace in the Holy Land. Prince Hussein concluded by summarising the demands of the Palestine Arabs under four heads: — (1) Recognition cf the right of Arabs to complete independence in their country. (2) Abandonment of the attempt to establish a Jewish national home in Palestine.

(3) Abrogation of the Mandate and illegalities resulting from it, and its replacement by a treaty similar to that between Britain and Iraq, creating a sovereign Arab State.

(4) Immediate cessation of all Jewish immigration and sales of land to Jews." The Arabs, he said, were prepared to negotiate in a conciliatory spirit, conditions under which reasonable British interests should be safeguarded, and to approve necessary guarantees for the preservation ci and right of access to all Holy places, and for the protection of all legitimate rights of Jewish and other minorities in Palestine.

“WRONG POLICY”

RESOLUTION BY INDIAN ASSEMBLY.

(Received This Day, 9 a.m.) NEW DELHI, February 10

The Legislative Assembly passed, by 55 votes to 45. a Congress resolution, demanding India’s immediate withdrawal from the League of Nations “because of Britain’s wrong policj' in Palestine, in contravention of the mandates provisions and in disregard of Indian feelings.”