The Wilmington morning star., 1947-09-28
Behind The New,
Palestine Crisis
Easement Slated
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE
Az Foreign Affairs An.IAn

-
The tragic Jewish-Arab nr.A
lem in Palestine may find tow
porary easement. But p,o.
which will contribute 70 .
tul solution, in Britain's
nouncement that she will end h.,
mandate if the United Natio,,.
doesn't work out a settlement,
satisfactory to both sides.
There will be easement h.
cause the quarrel between Ri,
ish and Jews has grown incre,.
ingly bitter through thu vesr.
until the presence of the ms.
date power in the HOLY Law
has become intolerable 10 INV
Jewish inhabitants. As thina
now stand it's better that
British clear out. "'
oAe VI the world'k
most difficult questions will
main to be answered bv ~
United Nations. That is how y,
fulfill Britain's Balfour decl,ra
ton Of 1917 by providing "a ns.
tional home for the Jewish naa.
pie it being clearly undarstaN
stat nothing shall be done whicS
may prejudice the civil and r.'
igious rights Of existing non.
Jewish communities (the Arabxl
in Palestine"
In the generation which h,
elapsed since that p'tIge Wa
given, the Holy Land has seem
bloodshed and destruction IL.
velop out of the differences. I'll.
great goal has become a will.
o'-the wisp and many observers
have come to believe that there
is no way of reconciling tbe
wishes of the Jews and fl.
Arabs. Be that as may, there
is no sign that the lamentations
against the ancient wailinp wall
of Jerusalem are about "a
cease.
In 1922 the British announced
a plan for the establishment NJ
a legislative council, but that
was rejected by the Arabs. Tn.
proposal was put forward again
in 1885 and was turned down
by both Arabs and Jews.
At that time a general strike
was declared by the higher
Arab committee which demand.
ed the creation of a national
representative government, til.
stoppage of Jewish immigration
and prohibition of the sale Of
land to the Jews. Naturally
these demands were not com.
piled with. There followed a
period of Arab terrorism. Hun.
DIR eds of Jews we're killed and
much damage was done to pro-
perty.
Then in 1887 the British Royal
commission, having spent seven
months in Palestine reviewing
the situation, recommended that
separate Jewish and Arab states
should be created. Britain would
have a permanent mandate for
Jerusalem. Bethlehem and Ma.
zareth, with a corridor from
Jerusalem to the coast.
This proposition was turned
down by both Jews and Arabs,
Disorders again swept the land,
These have continued eve since
with varying degrees Of intensi.
ty-clashes between Jews and
Arabs, and clashes between
BRUSH ana Jews.
Now a majority of the U. N
Palestine committee has recon-
mended that the Holy Land b
divided into two states, with
Jerusalem - sacred city Of
Christianity, Judaism and MO-
hammedanish - a neutral dis
trict. Again the Arabs are eS
pressing disapproval OF the idea
while there seems to be a d.
vision of opinion among the
Jews, some of whom are against
it
So the next step is up to The
U. NJ, and the problem is no.
complicated than ever. Not only
is the whole Arab world sup
porting the Palestine Arabs N
this issue, but the Holy Lasa
is a highly strategic area OF the
Middle East in which not only
Britain but Russia, France ann
America are deeply interested,