Political report of the Executive of the Jewish Agency submitted to the ... Zionist Congress and the ... session of the Council of the Jewish Agency · 1937-08-01 · 8.1937 · p. Seite 23

23 ment would not take, for lack of proofs. What the Executive urged, however, was not legal proceedings but a fixation of political responsibility and corresponding administrative action. Not only was this course not followed but the Jewish Agency had repeatedly to voice its protest against the virtual recognition enjoyed by the Arab Higher Committee. Its members were received, individually and in corpore, by the heads of the Administration who negotiated with them regarding the conditions under which they would be prepared to call off the strike and terminate the campaign of violence. Throughout the disturbances the tendency of the Administration was not unduly to undermine the personal position of the rebellious Arab leaders but, on the contrary, to represent them as not responsible for the campaign of violence and to assist them, by means of some face-saving device, to find a way out of the deadlock with the least possible damage to their prestige. 27. The exertions of the Arab Higher Committee to bring the maximum amout of pressure to bear on His Majesty's Government, on the one hand, "and the assistance lent to the Committee by the Government in trying to find for it an honourable escape from an impossible situation on the other, led to the intervention in the Palestine crisis of the Kings and Governments of some of the Arab States.The Executive viewed with grave concern this unprecedented departure which it saw taking place with the approval of the Government. It regarded this intervention as contrary to the Mandate, in which the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine was expressly recognised, but in which no locus standi in the affairs of Palestine was accorded to Arab nations outside Palestine. It felt particularly grave misgivings in regard to the mediation of the Foreign Minister of Iraq who visited Jerusalem in August 1936 as the guest of the Government of Palestine and entered into negotiations with the Arab Higher Committee. The Jewish Agency had reasons to fear that the conditions of settlement which formed the subject of these negotiation's were calculated to cause grave prejudice to fundamental Jewish interests guaranteed by the Mandate. The Executive lodged a formal protest against this mediation, pointing out its inadmissible character and the gravity of the precedent thereby established. Eventually. His Majesty's Government put an end to