Palestine: A Modern History (ص 99)

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Palestine: A Modern History (ص 99)

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208 The Great Palestine Revolt: 1936-1939
that the Mandate was ‘unworkable. The Higher Committee demanded
thatthe British Mandate be replaced by a Palestinian indeperident'state,
treaty-bound with Britain, guaranteeing reasonable British iriterests and
minofity rights of the Jews. '
Petitions of protest were submittedfrom all parts of Palestine but
the strongest reactions were those voiced in Galilee, which was included
in the Jewish State, wheré the Report: was received ‘with stiock and
incredulity’» Accétding to an official report: “ ‘
Christians, Moslems, Fellahin and landowners are probably more
united in their rejection of the proposal than they have ever been
before. Their common feeling ih this district is that they have been
betrayed and that ‘they will Ue forced to leave their land's and perish
in some unknown desert.®?
“Asda. result new local «Natidrial Gommittees of a large size were
formed in which the rural population was represented by a majority of
two-thirds.
Aware of the dogical iniplicatioris of Arab oppositiofi to the partition
scheme, the British unsuccessfully attempted on 17 July to arrest the
elusive! 'Flajj Amin, in order ‘to prevent his making further appeals and
preventing his giving any-support to: those who may ‘wish for disturb-
ances”. 83
The Bludan Pan-Arab Congress-
Having narrowly escaped arrest Hajj Amin kept within thesanctuary of
the Haram from where he managed to keep in touch with. the rébel
leadérs and: political activists. Unable to arrest him in the:Haram area,
Wauchope initiated measures for Governtnent control of the administra-
tion of the Shari’a Courts and the waqf funds té curtail the power of
the Mufti. Emulating the example of: Zionist Congresses, the’ Higher
Comittee applied for permission to convene a Pan-Arab congress in
Palestine :to study the situation and take the necessafy measures to
protest the rights of' the Palestinian Arabs but the Administration
refused to grant:permission or the grounds that the proposed congress
would lead to excitement. Thereafter, the ‘Committee‘for the Defence
Of Palestine’ in Damascus undertook.to convene“the congress in Bludan,
a’Syrian-summer resott. On 8 September, over four hundred delegates™
ftom Egypt, Iraq, Syria, ‘Lebanoh and Palestine elected: Naji Sweidi, an
ex-Prime Minister of ilraq, for'the Presidéncy of the Congress, ‘Alluba
Pasha,.Shakib Arslan and Bishop Krayke for the‘Vice-Presidency and
The Great Palestine Revolt: 1936-1939 209
Darwaza for the Secretariat. The Congress asserted that Palestine was
part of the Arab homeland and that the Arabs‘had the sight and were
duty-bound to defend, Palestine. The proposed Jewish state was viewed
as a grave threat and a foreign base againststhe Arab-wotlds®
The Congress proposed .that the Balfour Declaration should, be
abrogated, the Mandate annulled, and an ,Anglo-Palestinian treaty
concluded whereby independegce was recognised and a stop’ put to
Jewish immigration. In:the event of British.insistence onthe, partition
of Palestine, British and Jewish goods should be boycotted by the Arab
States. ‘ie
In his reportton the Congress the,British Consuljin Damascus cabled
that ‘contrary to expectation.general tone was not anti-British-although
vehemently anti- Zionist’. 87 This:moderation. was imposed by politicians
eager ‘to, stand well’ with the ‘British. Government led by Sweidi, the
President ,of the Congress. Thoroughly dissatisfied with what, they
described ‘as the insipid-resolutipns of«the Congress about a hundred
Palestinian and Syrian nationalists held .a secret meeting,ron 12
September for. the purpose of discussing more-effective measures that
could and should be taken to:fight British proposals’for partition.
u i Vs ao "
The method .most favoured was the continuance of attacks.on the
persons of ,Arabs ‘friendly¢to the iBritish authorities and on Jews,
with the idea of preparing:the: ground, for more. direct action later
against the Maridatory should this dangerous course:bemecessary.”*
‘ obi tin Fi
Simultaneous with these secret meetings Palestiniam‘activists were in
touch with the Syrian rebels who hdd takth a leading part irethe revolt
of 1936 and. arrangements werersriade forthe immediate departure of
thirty rebels:aytd a- rallying point somewhere between Beisan, Jenin and
Nablus was fixed.®’s Considexable’accumulation oftarms:and:ammuni-
tion.werestated to have been made*aréund Nablus under the'direction
of the Mufti. ¥o& thon owe
ali
.
a x wt £ 6
The Rebelfion’s Second Phase,
‘ , ce
Anticipating an outburst -of violence-in Palestine!the British took two
parallel mieasures:to;contain and suppress Arab reactions.'In September
1937, the: keague,Gouncil metto approve a'Yegomfmehdation submitted
by the Permanerit -Mandates ,Cémmittee to,.acc¢pt the principle of
q spartition in Palestine. But.instéad*of asking: for approval to :proceed
with partition, the .British Foreign -Secretary, MriAnthony Eden,
requested approval for sending a cothmission to Paléstine to, work out

هو جزء من

Palestine: A Modern History

تاريخ

1978

المنشئ

Abdul-Wahhab Kayyali

مجموعات العناصر

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