Palestine: A Modern History (ص 98)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 98)

المحتوى

206 The Great Palestine Revolt: 1936-1939
The granting of a.new labour schedule and rumours of proposed
partition of the country by the Peel Commission were subjects of Arab
protests.”* In view of the growth of nationalist feelings on both sides
Wauchope saw little hope of maintaining:security without a large and
permanent garrison.” Tension was accerttuated by a hunger strike
declared by 180 political intérnees in Galilee which threatened to snow-
ball after the declaration of a sympathy strike in Acre and Haifa.
While urging the Government to release ‘all political internees and
protesting against the issuing of immigration schedules, Hajj Amin was
able to do so ‘in a friendly way’, and to offer co-operation on settling
the dwellers of the tin shacks in Haifa on waq/f lands.
As the rumours regarding the recommendations of the Peel Com-
mission became more’ persistent Hajj Amin’s moderation gave way to a
more militant and defiant attitude. On 22 June, the Mufti, accompanied
by four of his closest lieutenants, arrived in Damascus where he
received all the prominent hationalist leaders, journalists and politicians
of Syria and Lebanon in'addition to a few Iraqi Arab nationalists and
the Sa‘udi Arabian Consul. ‘According to a report by the usually well-
informed British Consul in Damascus, Hajj Amin’s discussion centred
around two inter-related subjects. These were a ‘general review of the
pan-Arab political position’ involving the ‘immediate merging of the
Palestine Istiqlal party in the Syrian National bloc...in all its
aspects’,” and the impending scheme for the partition of Palestine.
Hajj Amin raised objections to. partition, and a majority of' the
politicians was’ against the acceptance of ‘Abdullah as sovereign of the
proposed Arab State of Palestine. A Pan-Arab Congress was to be
convened to discuss the future of Palestine at a later stage. Apart from
the Syrian politicians and journalists, Hajj Amin had ‘more than-one
lengthy private meeting with Syrian and Palestinian rebel leaders such
as Mohammad al-Ashmar and Sheikh ‘Attiyeh and other persons known
for their gun-running ‘activities: Moreover, the Mufti was reported to
Have.stated on several occasions that he would ‘declare war dn the
British on the 8th July’,* following the publication of the Royal
Commission’s report. Days before the.report was due to be published
Ragheb Nashashibi and Ya‘qoub Farraj resigned from the Higher
Committee ostensibly: on the ground that the Mufti was acting without
reférence to the-rest of the members of the Committee. They*also
deplored recent ‘acts of terrorism and hinted ‘that the Mufti was
responsible -for these acts. The fact was that their contirluéd: member-
ship on the Higher Committee would have restricted their freedom
of action when the Government announced the Partition Scheme. In
The Great Palestine Revolt: 1936-1939 207
league with ‘Abdullah, the National Defence Party intended’to accept
the proposed partition’. and annex the new .Arab state to Trans-
Jordan with ‘Abdullah jes, soyereign. With the ‘aid of the British
Government the Defence Party expected to assume political leader-
ship after Hajj Amin had been -gemoved from :the scene by Govern-
ment order. On hearing of the resignation, of Nashashibi and Farraj,
the Mufti -returned -to Jerusalem sand British military authorities
immediately predicted that he would, soon attempt to terrorise the
opposition by political assassinations.”
Peel’s Partition Plan
On 7 July, the Royal, Commission Report was published together with
an official announcement that the British Government had accepted in
principle its recommendations.
The Report recommended that the Mandate should be abandoned
and that the country should be-divided into three parts: an Arab state
comprising: those parts of Palestine .predominantly Arab; a Jewish
state comprising the predominantly Jewish parts; and certain areas
comprising those parts that were of particularly strategic or religious
importance were to remain under British Mandate. In view of the fact
that the proposed. Jewish state would include the best land in Palestine,
the Report recommended that the Arab state be assisted by an annual
subvention from the Jewish state.”
The Zionists protested that the Partition boundaries were not to
their liking, but Weizmann was in favour of the scheme. In an interview
with Ormsby-Gore, he promised ‘to do his best to get the Zionist
Congress to accept partition’”® and help the British in getting Arabs out
of Galilee into Trans-Jordan. The, French were also reported by
| Weizmann to be in favour,of ‘the idea of partition and of the estdablish-
ment of a Jewish State as assuring a bulwark for Western democracy at
the eastern end of the Mediterranean.” w
The Report was receiyed with. indignation, by the. majority of the
Palestinian Arabs who were adamantly opposed: to the creation .of*a
Jewish ~state on what they regarded as Arab land.™ In view of, the
j vehement Arab,reactions to partition, the Nashashibi faction refrained
: from making any. public declaration in favour of the scheme.
On, 8 July the Higher Committee rejected the partition scheme and
appealed -to the Arab rulers as well as td the Arab and Muslim-worlds,
§ to whom Palestine belonged, for-salidarity. They Communicated their
rejection of, partition to the League of Nations and, submitted that the
Royal Commission had ‘asserted -what they repeatedly claimed, namely,
A Oe a a st
Pons

هو جزء من

Palestine: A Modern History

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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