March 6, 1940 The Palestine Deception of Great Britain

Phillip Noel Baker:

“THAT THIS HOUSE REGRETS THAT, DISREGARDING THE EXPRESSED OPINION OF THE PERMANENT MANDATES COMMISSION THAT THE POLICY CONTAINED IN THE WHITE PAPER OF MAY 1939 ON PALESTINE WAS INCONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS OF THE MANDATE, AND WITHOUT THE AUTHORITY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT HAVE AUTHORIZED THE ISSUE OF REGULATIONS CONTROLLING THE TRANSFER OF LAND WHICH DISCRIMINATE UNJUSTLY AGAINST ONE SECTION OF THE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE”

“The House will no doubt remember that when Sir John Hope-Simpson made his first report on this subject in 1930, the Government took the problem of the landless Arab very seriously. They appointed special Commission under Mr. French and Mr. Justice Webb to find out how many Arabs had been dispossessed because their land had been purchased by the Jews. That commission sent out agents into every village where Arab land had been purchased by the Jews and asked for claims from landless Arabs who had been dispossessed. They selected admirable lands, with excellent irrigation on which they offered new settlements to these claimants, if their claims were proved. They got 1,000 claims of which Mr. French and Mr. Justice Webb allowed 600, 100 took up the Government offer of new settlements elsewhere. Of these 100, 50 deserted their new farms within a year or two and went back to the villages from which they came. Like the 500 who stayed at home in the first instance and refused the government’s offer, they found that they were better off working in other ways in their own villages than if they went to the new land settlements which the Government had offered”

“We think it is precisely by that process that, as the Secretary of State told us a year ago, 400,000 Arabs have been added to the population. He said then in words that deserve attention:

‘THE ARABS CANNOT SAY THAT THE JEWS ARE DRIVING THEM OUT OF THEIR COUNTRY.’ ”

“THAT IS THE PROCESS WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE BY THESE LAND REGULATIONS PROPOSES TO STOP. IN FUTURE, HE IS TO ALLOW THE JEWS THE RIGHT OF FREE PURCHASE IN 2.6 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL AREA OF PALESTINE. WHEN THEY WERE FIRST PROMISED THE NATIONAL HOME, IT WAS TO INCLUDE TRANS-JORDAN AND WAS TO BE 45,000 SQUARE MILES. IN 1922, TRANS-JORDAN WAS CUT AWAY AND IT (E.G. PALESTINE) BECAME 10,000 SQUARE MILES. THE PEEL COMMISSION PROPOSED TO CUT IT TO 2,000 SQUARE MILES. NOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE CUTS IT TO 260 SQUARE MILES. THAT 260 SQUARE MILES IS IN THE AREA WHERE THE JEWS HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED MOST; WHERE THE LAND HAS ALREADY BEEN RECLAIMED AND WHERE, PROPORTIONATELY, THE ARABS ARE THICKEST ON THE GROUND.”

Source: Parliamentary Debates: House of Commons Official Report, Published by His Majesty’s Stationery Office Wednesday March 6, 1940 Volume 258. No 35. P415