Palestine: A Modern History (ص 33)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 33)

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68 Polarisation: The Military Administration’ 1917-1920
The Moslem and Christian population were practically unanimous
against Zionism, usually: ‘expressing themselves with great
emphasis.’
The Commission also noted that
The feeling against the Zionist program is not confined to Palestine,
but shared very generally by the people throughout Syria, as our
conferences clearly showed. More than 72 per cent —“1350 — in all
— of all the petitions in the whole of Syria were directed against the
Zionist program. Only two requests — those for a united Syria and
for independence — had a larger support.'™!
Before the Comffission left Palestine they began to hear consist-
ently about a forthcoming congress in Damascus. ‘For the first time the
Arab delegations were sounding the note that the problem of a
mandatory power should be left to conference shortly to assemble in
Damascus’.'? The change from the insistence on independence to the
acquiescefice in a rhandatory system was a significant one. Colonel
Cornwallis, Deputy Political Officer at Damascus, attributed this
change to
A letter received from Rustum Bey Haidar, the Arab representative
in Paris, saying that it will be fatal to ask for complete independence,
as the Powers have decided that there must be a mandate. '°
Cornwallis further reported that Faisal had by that time dissolved
both Hizb: al-Istiqlal (The Independence Party) and al-Ittihad as-Suri
(The Syrian Union) and" had announced. that there will be no more
political societies in OET East. However, the Hashemite® Prince began
he
to realise the difficulties ‘which he sill have in reconciling the
Palestinians and Zionists, and no longer treats the question’as a
minor one... Meanwhile Palestinians here are vehement, and
Mohamed-es-Saleh-al‘Husseini of Nablus has been advogating the
defencé of Arab independence in Palestine by the sword
7 ,
The Palestinian$ did not share Faisal’s: tendency to bow before the
powers and their political schemes. Accordihg ‘to Clayton the opposite
was true.!9 i ’
ae
Polarisation: The Military Administration 1917-1920 69
The, General Syrian Congress
The General Syrian Congress finally held its meetings in Damascus
during the first weék of July,
»
comprising representatives from the three zones viz. the Southern,
Eastern and Western, provided with credentials and authority by the
inhabifant8 of: out various districts, Moslems, Christians and Jews.!%
A delegation chosen by the Congress presented to the Commission a
statement signed by the members of the Congress. known as the
Damascus Programnte, which called for “immediate compléte indepen-
dence for Syiia without protection or tutelage, dnder'a civil constitu-
tional monarchy*. As far ‘as Palestine «vas tonceined, the’ Damascus
Programme-voiced Palestinian feelings in the sevehth, eighth and tenth
resolutions of their statement:
7.:We oppose the: pretensions of the Zionists to create a Jewish
commonwealth in ‘the southern part of Syria known as Palestine and
oppose Zionist migration to any part of our country, for we do not
acknowledge their title but consider’them a grave peril to our people
from ‘the national, economical ‘and political point of view. Our
Jewish compatriots shall enjoy our cOmmon rights and assume the
common respotisibilities. r x
8. We ‘demand that there shall defo separation of the southern
part of Syria known as Palestine: ..from the Syrian country, and
desire the unity’of the country to be guaranteed against partition
under whatever circumstances.
10. The fundamental principles Jaid-down by President Wilson in
condemnation of secret treaties impel us to protest most emphati-
cally against any treaty that stipulates the partition of our’ Syrian
couritry, and against any private engagement aiming at establishing
-Zionism in the Southern part of Syria, thus’ we demaid:the snnul-
ment of these conventions and agreements absolutely.'”
The Palestinidn members of the Congress, who came from all the
major towns of Palestine, played d conspicuous part in it and ‘Iszat
Darwazd‘was its secretary.
A-report on the political situation by Colonel French, Chief Political
Officer, EEF, in the wake-of the departure of the King Crane Commis-
Sion stated: vt
BOR IS ete FR GO AE EO A hk Pad NE yee
ee AES ERG A

هو جزء من

Palestine: A Modern History

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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