Palestine: A Modern History (ص 56)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 56)

المحتوى

114° Deadlock: 1920-1923 Lav
‘were: to reject the New Palestine Constitution and boycott the coming
‘elections ‘of the Legislative Council; to establish a Palestine Arab
Bureau inf London, to provide means fOr éhlighterling the fellah’ on
national affairs, tb ‘boycott Jewish goods! and the Rutenberg
Aelectricity) Scheme, to prevent the sales of immovable property to
‘Jews and to carry out a ‘finance scheme’ forthe collection of funds.
‘A “Palestine Covenant’*was adopted and the oath: committed the
delegates to a certain line of policy:
We, the representatives of the Palestine Arab Nation in the Fifth
Palestine Arab. Congress held at Nablus, pledge ourselves to God,
History and thd Nation that we shall continue 6ur:endeavours for
the indeperidence of our country, and for achieving Arab urfity
‘By all légal‘rfiethods, and that we shall: not ‘atcept tl the’ establishing
of a Jewish National Home nor Jewish immigration.’ “s
The efforts of the Palestinian political notability to prevent violence
as a means-of éxpressing opposition to the Mandate and Jewish
immigration were’ hota total success. During August-it was reported
that '
‘The recent murderous attacks on Jews at Jaffa by small groups‘of
Arabs togéther with the fetaliatory: assaults on Arabs‘ by Jewish’
mobs, has resulted in a detided increase of racial animosity’ in the
Jaffa District.'2"” ‘
A very illuminating and interesting letter fromt' Deedes to
Shuckburgh sought to describe the political situation in clear and
intelligible terms. The members of the Delegation, Deedes teported,
‘seem to have come back very pro-British’,!?* and alhwith the exception
of Tawfiq Hammad wete moderate and reasonable. They would not
have approved of the resolutions of the ‘Fifth Congress had they not
been rushed into ‘it by their local organisation. Since.the attitude’of the
Congress was one“of boycott: to ‘the elections; there were signs that a
‘new party would gradually emerge and which would be willing to
cooperate with‘ the’Governmént and to put up candidates for efection.
The emergetice of the moderate party was not only influenced by
‘political considerations’ but also by very acute afd generation-long
family antagonisms, betweén the Husseihis ahd the Nashashibis.
The difference in the attitude of the two parties towards the
Government was demonstrated on the occasion of' the Ceremdny for
F Deadlock: 1920-1923 . 115
F Taking the Oath; i.e. when Samuel was sworn in as High Commissioner,
Fon 11 September. The Husseinis, the Hajj Amin included; and the
, Myslim- -Christian Societies called for a strike in the country at large and
& boycotted the Ceremony while ‘Abdullah and the Nashashibis
attended 179
. During September and October the Governors of some Districts
4 feported a growing belief among the peasants that the causes of their
@ numerous disabilities were chiefly political. Police ‘severity during a
. series of operations conducted in certain villages of the Samaria District
n search of arms was strongly resented by the people. In the Hebron
villages the peasants’ anti-Government attitude was‘reinforcéd by’ ‘theit
difficulty in disposing of their crops,at a reasonable figure and their
# consequent embarrassmént when called upon to pay the tithe redemp-
& tion price’.' The agitation against the proposed Government census
and the Administration’s counter-measures and arrests strengthened, the
a prevalent anti-Government feeling. The Arabs later modified their
q Ms attitude and the census proceeded without further obstruction.
F In September 1922, news of the Kemalist victories were ‘received
f with jubilation by the Moslem population’.'*5 Turkish victories raised
s. the prospect-of the revision of the Treaty of Sevres which covered the
F Palestine Mandate and encouraged fresh hopes that a radical change-in
: the situation in Palestine would result from such a revision. A delegation
was nominated to attend the forthcoming Lausanne Peace . Conference
and relatively big sums of money were collected for the Red Crescent
to help the Turks of Anatolia.
The idea of contacting the Turks to obtain support for the anti-
Zignist movement in Palestine gathered momentum. It received added
impetus when ‘Abdul Kader al-Muzaffar’ returned from Turkey in the
middle of December and reported that the Turkish leaders promised to
‘hack the Palestinian National aspirations and;Arab independence. A
group of Palestinians cabled Mustapha Kemal pleading. support , for
Palestinian independence under a Turkish Mandate.!6
A further strong stimulant to Palestinian hopes for a change of
policy was provided by the news of the resignation of Lloyd George’s
coalition Government. “
a While external factors gave- rise to fresh hopes, the agitation
&, against the proposed new Constitution and the proposed Legislative
elections .— stipulating acceptance of the JNH policy - encouraged
bolder tactics inside Palestine. 127 The Executive Committee occupied
&. itself with protests and representations over land concessions to the
4 Jews and the necessity of safeguarding the interests of the Muslim
vies, Um, Sitio 2,
sect ve” erties Se at et

هو جزء من

Palestine: A Modern History

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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