Evening star., 1937-07-11
Palestine's Outside Rule May End
Engands Proposed Partition Would Give Arabs and Jews
L0ng-Sought Independence
BY JOHN LEAR,
Press Stan Writer

nation for the first time in 1000 years
The Jews Of the country have not
been Independent since Pompey
marched from Rome to crush them
IN So B. c.
The Arabs have not known COM
plete freedom since the Ottoman
Turks overthrew them in the seventh
century B. G.
Neither Of the two peoples has been
under subjection, in the strictest sense
OF that word, under England's pres
ent League Of Nations mandate. but
neither have they been wholly free.
The partition proposed by the Brit
ish Royal Commission would set up
two independent nations: One for
the Jews. mostly In the plains along
the coast; another for the Arabs, in
the Hills, with England maintaining
a mandate over the holy cities Of
Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Both Seek Independence.
Independence is what both Jews
and Arabs have been seeking since
they became pawns In the diplomacy
of World War days.
The Suez Canal was a vital SPOT
to British naval operations during
the war and England was afraid her
foes would use Syria and Palestine
as convenient base for attack The
Holy Land was then under Turkish
rule and the Turks were allied with
Germany. But the Arabs, who made
up most Of the population, were
restive.
Taking advantage Of the Arab feel
ing, Britain let it be known that If
she won the war the Arabian penin-
sula would be declared independent
after peace was signed. The Arabians
reacted favorably and agreed to turn
against the Turks after Sir Henry
Mcmahon, then high commissioner In
Egypt, laid out definite plan for
dividing the Arab country, including
Palestine, into independent and quasi
independent states. The expeditions
OF the famous T. Z. Lawrence fol-
lowed and the attack on the Suez was
blocked.
Thus began the Arab side of the
problem.
In 1918 the Allies were in another
tough spot. The Rumanian Army was
crushed, the Russians were demoral-
lzed, the French were unable at the
moment to take the offensive on a
large scale, American troops were not
yet in the trenches and English ship
ping was being sunk with disastrous
enect by German submarines. Some
thing had to be done to fortify the
position generally, and the British de-
cided that that something was world
wide support from the Jewish people.
The famous Balfour declaration was
issued, in which the Jews were pro-
missed national home" in Palestine
If they threw in their lot with Eng
land and her allies. The leaders Of
the Jews agreed, and Jewish influence
was exerted in the Allies behalf.
Thus began the Jewish side of the
problem.
Two Promises to Keep.
When the war was over England
had two promises to keep. The Arabs
claimed the right to independent rule
OF Palestine as = reward for their re-
volt. The Jews claimed the right to
q national home In Palestine ~ 4 re-
ward for their help.
That was dincult enough, but 1t was
made worse by two developments:
l. One Of the II points on which
President Wilson said peace should
be made provided that all nationali-
ties under Turkish rule should have
IAN absolutely unmolested opportunity
of autonomous development"
2. The British and French govern
ments in joint declaration in 1919
guaranteed free governments to Syria
and Mesopotamia.
The Arabs insisted that Palestine
should be theirs under both these
points, as well as under the Mcmahon
document.
The partition report of the royal
commission recognizes some validity
in this argument, for the first time.
Heretofore the English commended that
Palestine was not part Of Syria and
therefore not subject to the Franco
British pact and that the Arabs had
misinterpreted the dividing line the
Mcmahon document drew between in
dependent and quasi-iudependent
states.
In an effort to clear up the situa-
tion peacefully, the Versailles treaty
drafters put Palestine under = man
date and left the choice of the gov
erning country to Palestine's popu-
lation. Both the Arabs and the Jews
chose England, and the new gov
ernment went into effect in 1870.
The Jews cheered the mandate as
an opening wedge for the national
Jewish state" they had sought so
long, but the Arabs never accepted it.
To understand the situation fully As
1t stood in 1920 1t is necessary to
60 further back than the war. The
roots Of the problem lie deep in the
mysticism and emotion OF religion.
An important fact about Palestine
Is that 1t Is the home Of three world
wide beliefs: Christian, Jew and Mos
lem
Historically, the Jews have the
greatest claim to call 1t home" They
drifted down from the barren steppes
OF the north across the Arabian des-
ert toward the Mediterranean Sea
somewhere between 1000 and 1000
years before Christ's birth. History
shows that by about 100 BIC. the
1sraelites occupied most Of the hill
country OF Palestine and were Al
ready distinguished from their ueish-
bors by their one-God religion, Their
Kingdom grew and prospered up to
the death Of King Solomon and then
fell under subjection Of the Assyrians.
Perslans and Romans.
Romans Destroyed jerusalem.
Ine Jews rebelled 70 often that the
ROMANS finally sent In IN army in
13o AID, destroyed Jerusalem and
plowed up its site. Many were slain.
many more were enslaved. Survivors
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