Volume XXVII No. 12 December, 1972 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOOAjm W XmH RFFIKEES IH eUCAT BRITAIN 'Herbert Freeden (Jerusalem) A FOREST IN GALILEE ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS, ARABS British Jewry's Tribute to the Queen In this issue readers will find a St 1 ^^^^ ^s room for only two independent most one-half. The principal cause of the leaflet regarding the scheme of the of t^^—°^^ Jewish and one Arab—in the area change of direction was Jewish development, Anglo-Jewish community to mark the ^ the original Palestine between the Mediter- creating new and attractive opportunities for silver wedding anniversary of Her ^nean and the boundary of Iraq. What the work and, in general, a standard of living un­ Majesty and H.R.H. The Duke of ''ab state be called, is not our concern and known dn the Middle East. Another major p^. nave no right to interfere", said Israel's factor in the rapid growth of the Arab popu­ Edinburgh by a forest to be planted ^irae Minister, Golda Meir, recently. The lation was, of course, the rate of natural in Israel. The fact that the Royal r. 6sent Kingdom of Jordan was part of Pales- increase, accentuated by the reduction of the Couple agreed to accept this loyal J'»e till 1922 like the West Bank—now under previously high infant mortality rate and by tribute reatfirms the feelings of sym­ i/1^ administration—till seized by Abdullah improved health conditions introduced by the pathy and understanding which they . 1948. Referring to a widespread niovement Jews. The Arab population doubled from have always shown to the Anglo- r establish a third State on Palestine soil, 565,000 in 1922 to 1,200,000 in 1947. Jewish community as well as to Israel. " ^'^dition to Israel and Jordan, Golda Meir Before large-scale Jewish settlement, the The list of Patrons includes eminent 6sf !?• "Why was such a Palestinian entity not Palestine scene was one of deserts with personalities of all political and reli­ fp'^olished before 1967? If the Palestinians nomads continually encroaching upon the few gious shades of Anglo-Jewry. There j^aily wanted a State of their own, why didn't settled areas and its Arab farmers. The on fk'^^ so between 1948 and 1967? They were peasants wallowed in poverty and disease, has never been an equaUy represen­ inundated by debt (interest rates at times tative list of this kind. an^ '"^y were in Jordan ?—why didn't they try were as high as 60 per cent), and threatened The success of the scheme depends ""o set up their entity?" by warlike nomads or neighbouring clans. The on the co-operation of all sections of ^^ndeed, an answer to this question was result was neglect of the soil, flight from the the community, and the AJR was bant'^ given. Neither Jordan, then on both villages and a mounting concentration of lands among those major organisations Pon 1 °^ ^^^ River Jordan with a Palestinian in the hands of a small number of large land PUlation of over 1 million, nor Egypt which owners, frequently residing in Beirut, Damas­ which were called upon immediately ^."-cupied the Gaza Strip with its 400,000 Pales- cus, Cairo or Kuweit. the appeal was launched. We know ^^lans, cherished the idea of giving up even The Palestine peasants were dispossessed that, as an integral part of Anglo- ^ "Ich of their sovereignty for something they by the local sheikhs and the village elders, Jewry, those who found a new home j^^.^ Hot sure existed, namely a Palestinian the Government tax-collectors, the merchants, in this country will wish to be asso­ money lenders, and when they were tenant- ciated with the scheme. Whilst it is alestine as a political unit ceased to exist farmers, as was usually the case, by the ab­ our usual policy to refrain from the niorf ^^^ Roman conquest of the Jewish com- sentee owners. Most of the Jewish land enclosure of appeals in our periodical, nwealth and, having been part of Syria, purchases involved tracts belonging to absen­ we therefore decided that this unique ^^^ restored by the British in 1917 as a politi- tee-owners. At the turn of the century the cause calls for an exception. j unit for the specific purpose of establishing large Yezreel Valley, now dotted with numerous a p^^^\ National Home. The Arab concept of villages, settlements and townlets, virtually When sending in their contributions Tea ^. ^^''^ian national entity arose only as a belonged to two individuals: the Eastern part to the Jewish National Fund, mem­ '^"on to the Balfour Declaration. "In vari­ to the Turkish Sultan—the Western to the bers should mark the accompanying ous n " richest banker in Syria, Sursuk "The Greek". pay slips with the initials "AJR". In the ^^^°tiations with the Arabs in regard to Most of the land purchased had not been this way the AJR will qualify for a gj.;,,territory liberated from the Turks, the farmed before, because it was swampy, rocky, plaque to be installed in the Forest. Syri' "^^^^ faced with demands for a Greater sandy or regarded as "uncultivatable" for some If possible, contributions should be nevp^' ^ Kingdom of Hedgaz, an Arab State, other reason. This is supported by the findings sent to the JNF by the end of this Mar' ^^^ ^^ independent Palestine ", writes of the Palestine Royal Commission, 1937: "The Ja« Syrkin ("The Palestinians", Midstream, Arab charge that the Jews have obtained too month. ll^^' 1970). large a proportion of good land cannot be A. S. DRESEL, W. ROSENSTOCK, tion ^ ^^^^ en'visaged by the Balfour Declara- maintained. Much of the land now carrying Chairman. General Secretary. (QJ had been approximately 3 per cent of the orange groves was sand dunes or swamps or ^fitis.«ehr Turkish provinces but at the time the uncultivated when it was purchased. ." ofp".^ tooto k0. 8ove per r thcene Mandatt througe hi n th1922e partitio, it hadn In those rare instances where Arab tenant- by the Government. The remainder refused jQj.j^^^stine, due to the establishment of Trans- farmers were displaced as a result of Jewish because they had found employment elsewhere ^^aan east of the river. When in 1948 Israel land purchases, compensation in cash or other or were not accustomed to the conditions and Hij. ^stablished, the area had further dimi- land was made as required by the 1922 Pro­ the climate of the new areas. (See also "Land Stat^ to 0,5 per cent. Six independent Arab tection of Cultivators Ordinance. Often, the Ownership in Palestine 1880-1948" by the Sqj,^^ had emerged on an area of li million Jewish land-buying bodies paid more than Israel Academic Committee on the Middle Stgf'^^ miles, as compared with the Jewish stipulated by the law. Between 1920 and 1930, East). •^te on 3QQQ square miles, of 688 such tenants 526 remained in agricul­ Displacement of Arabs on a major scale the p ^sties published in 1937 in the Report of tural occupation, some 400 of them finding took place in 1948, and to some minor extent Pjj. ,^°yal Commission indicate that after the other land (Palestine Royal Commission, 1937). again in 1967, and much has been said and OoyA World War Palestine, traditionally a According to the report of this Commission, written about the refugees—whether they of A y ^{ Arab emigration, became a country the total number of applications for admission went on their own accord to seek their fortune total ^'^ immigration. There are no precise to the register of landless Arabs was 3,271. in the neighbouring countries; whether they •'^rah °^ ^^^ extent of the—^mainly illegal— Of these, 2,607 had been disallowed on the were misled by their leaders who promised War I'^^^'^Sration between the two World ground that they did not come within the them speedy victory once they were out of oijgf^.it was estimated that by 1939 at least category of landless Arabs. Valid claims were the way; or whether they were driven out by Com ^^^ of the Arab population were new- recognised in the case of 664 heads of families, the Israelis, or by their own fears: probably ""s; by 1947 their proportion reached al­ of whom 347 accepted the offer of resettlement Continued on page 2, column 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION December, 1972 AFTER MUNICH ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS, ARABS Statement by Zentralrat Continued from page 1 Minister of Communications, one of the On October 22 the Directorium of th^ younger Labour leaders said: "Eliav wants to "Zentralrat" of the Jews in Germany held a a combination of all four factors comes nearest produce a kind of Balfour Declaration of the meeting in Munich. The main subject was the to the truth. Considering that the Gennan Palestinians. I have yet to hear of any Pales­ situation of the Jewish community in Gerroany Federal Republic succeeded in absorbing 13 tinian putting forward such a request. The in the light of the Munich tragedy, especially million refugees from the East, the complete as far as the security of its members was con­ Palestinians, contrary to Eliav's conception do cerned. At the suggestion of Dr. Josef Neu­ refusal of 50 million Arabs to integrate the not seek Jewish recognition of their entity. berger it was decided to prepare a documen­ one million Palestinians is, of course, a politi­ They want Israel which for them is Palestine, tation of terror acts connected with the Middle cal decision to keep the pawns of the conflict and they want all of it." East problem. The directorium also unani­ before the eyes of the world.