Village Statistics 1945: A Classification of Land and Area Ownership in Palestine (ص 11)
غرض
- عنوان
- Village Statistics 1945: A Classification of Land and Area Ownership in Palestine (ص 11)
- المحتوى
-
I - Introduction
IN AUGUST 1936, the British Government, as the Mandatory Power in
Palestine, appointed a Royal Commission under the chairmanship of Lord
Peel, ‘“To ascertain the underlying causes of the disturbances which broke out
in Palestine in the middle of April; to inquire into the manner in which the
Mandate for Palestine is being implemented in relation to the obligations of
the Mandatory towards the Arabs and the Jews respectively; and to ascertain
whether, upon a proper construction of the terms of the Mandate, either
the Arabs or the Jews have any legitimate grievances upon account of the
way in which the Mandate has been, or is being implemented; and if the
Commission is satisfied that any such grievances are well founded, to make
recommendations for their removal and for the prevention of their recur-
rence.’’2
Among the documents which the Palestine Government was asked to
prepare for submission to the Commission upon its arrival in Palestine on 11
November 1936 were statistical data relating to land ownership in Palestine
as between Jews and non-Jews. The Department of Land Settlement, being
the authority responsible for the country’s fiscal assessment records from
which this information had to be extracted, was approached by the
Commission’s liaison officer, Mr. L.Y, Andrews,? then Development Officer
of the Government, to make available the data needed. The schedules when
submitted were treated as ‘strictly secret.’
In 1943, the Palestine Government decided to make such statistical infor-
mation public, and the Department of Land Settlement thereupon issued the
first printed ‘Village Statistics’ showing the position as on 1 April 1943. Cir-
culation of this publication was limited to government offices and a few inter-
ested private organizations.
In 1946, an Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry was appointed jointly
by the British and United States Governments to examine, among other things,
the political, economic and social conditions of Palestine and to make recom-
mendations for a settlement.®
(1) Cmd. 5479 — Report of the Royal (Peel) Commission.
(2) It is believed that the idea of the partition of Palestine, as later recommended
by the Royal Commission, was inspired by Mr. Andrews whose friendly relations and
cooperation with the Jewish Agency were then no secret. Particulars of the location of
Jewish land holdings were needed by the Commission to decide the boundaries of
their proposal for a ‘Jewish state.’
(3) Cmd. 6808 — Report of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry.
11 - تاريخ
- سبتمبر ١٩٧٠
- المنشئ
- Hadawi, Sami
- هداوي، سامي
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