More hope of compromise is to be found in the
Jewish than in the Arab statement of claim. The Arabs demand the complete independence of Palestine, abandonment of the attempt to establish a Jewish National Home, abrogation of the mandate and the Balfour Declaration, both of which they refuse to recognise, and the cessation of all Jewish immigration and sales of land to Jews. These demands offer no basis for a solution either honourable or expedient. Dr. Weizmann's statement of the Jewish case is more encourag- ing; the Jews insist on the acceptance of two principles: first, Jewish control of immigration into the National Home. and, secondly, that whatever solution is adopted it should not condemn the Jews to occupy a permanent minority status in yet another country. These principles are sufficiently flexible to allow the Jews to accept a variety of solutions as, for instance, partition or a return to the man- date. In the new phase of the Conference which opens after the rival statements have been made the Government's greatest difficulty will be to secure some modification of the Arab demands, and it is here that the presence of the representatives of the Arab States will be most helpful. It is encouraging to learn that the Government has now prepared a plan on which agreement between the two parties may be possible, and which, in case of necessity, it is ready to impose on them. The details, however, are not yet known, though rumours of them have appeared in the Press.
Previous page
