Evening star., 1948-06-10

tingents of foreign soldiers and settlers. An
analysis of available statistics has brought an
estimate that in 1882 no more than about
106 900 settled Moslems had more than half
century's connection with the country. Calcula-
tions have been made showing that only some
228,000 descendants of the 1852 Moslem settled
population were living in Palestine at the out
break of World War II. It should be noted
that waves OF immigration of Arabs from neigh
boring countries were prompted by the fact
that higher standard of living was possible
for them as a direct and indirect result of
Zionist development. Far from being the settled
population of Palestine, according to a prevail
ing misconceptions rs per cent of the Arab
population there have been either imnigrants
themselves or descendants of persons who
immigrated into Palestine during the past 100
years, for the most part after 1882
1t is flying in the face of plain common sense
to compare the Jewish claim to Palestine with
that Of some hypothetical Indians who might
lay claim to America. It was not an arbitrary
act when the League of Nations with the con-
currence Of So of the leading nations Of the
world and with the formal approval Of the
United States recognized the Jewish claim to
establish a national home in Palestine. It Is
not the single fact that the Jews once occupied
Palestine, but whole complex of facts, that
makes the Jewish claim acceptable to the
international conscience. The historical con-
nection consists not only in the physical facts
OF former occupation and in the continued
presence OF at least remnant of the Jewish
community up to modern times but also in the
fact that all Western thought, Christian as well
as Jewish, connects the Jews with Palestine
Palestine Neglected.
The establishment of a national home Tor
the Jews in Palestine is not, as alleged by
anti-Zionist propaganda, "at the expense OF
another peoples existence" While Palestine
has certain Importance for Arab culture and
for Islam, the significance that it has for the
Arabs is relatively less than it has either Tor
Christians or for Jews. Indeed, the Arabs have
not used it too well, so that the world today
is presented with the glaring contrast OF CEN
turies of stagnation and neglect OF the Holy
Land and a new burst of constructive achieve
ment towards making wilderness flower again.
Ways must be found for satisfactory ADJUST
ment with the Arab world, which has civlllza-
ton of its own which in the past has shown
itself to be of very high order 1t is decidedly
a responsibility of Israel to learn to live in
peace with the Arabs and to help them to
develop their own potentialities and be helped
by them At present, blind forces of violence
and aggression amidst the Arabs are the prime
hindrance. am sure that among the Arabs
there are more moderate and more civilized
elements who today fear to show themselves
After this necessary adjustment has been
made, the final Justification OF Israel as a
nation among nations may well be that it will
give an example of that flexible and yet planned
society, that balance of liberty and order which
at present we associate with Moses and the
prophets and with the people of Israel 5000
years ago. rather than with their modern
suct essors, SIDNEY KORETZ.