Contemporary Jewry. By Israel Cohen. (Methuen. ass.)
Tins book is boring, irritating and rather dishonest. The major part of it consists of a rather boastful but uninspired jecord of the achievements of individuals of Jewish descent in various fields of activity. The part dealing with Palestine sounds like a well-worn . (Continued on 'page 194) gramophone record of a medley of speeches made over and over again by Zionist leaders during the last twenty years. Mr. Cohen's partiality is not even supported by consistency. Thus on page 370 he writes that the Arab population of Palestine in May, 1947, " amounted at most to only 870,000 against the British figure of 1,250,000." The British figure is explained by the allegation " that it was British policy to exaggerate the Arab population." Yet, on page 322, where he is trying to show the benefits brought by Zionism to the Arabs, Mr. Cohen states that " the Arabs in Palestine had increased between 1919 and 1935 by 50 per cent. from 630,000 to 940,000, a growth unparalleled in the neighbouring Arab coun- tries, and most marked in the vicinity of Jewish settlements." Perhaps Mr. Cohen can explain this even more phenomenal decline from 940,000 in 1935 to 870,000 in 1947, which is also unparalleled in the neighbouring Arab countries.
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