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 31

31 the worst form of suffering — the ignominy of having to realise that sacrifices made have been futile. The Arabs, on the other hand, will have definitely established that in Palestine violence is a political weapon certain of success. It may perhaps be argued that the suspension is necessary in order to provide a clean slate, so to speak, for the Royal Commission on which to write its verdict on the future policy of immigration. I submit that to act on this basis is to pre-judge the issue. No Commission can rightly ask that in order to facilitate its task a prior change should be introduced in the status quo which it is called upon to investigate____A continuing Jewish immigration is an essential element of the status quo of Palestine. Its administrative suspension as a preliminary step to the Commission's work must appear as an attempt on the part of Government to give a definite direction to the trend of investigations, which cannot but prejudice the Jewish case. The Commission would no doubt find it very difficult to recomend the stoppage of Jewish immigration if it came to Palestine while immigration was in progress. It would find it equally difficult, on arriving in Palestine while there was no immigration, to accept responsibility for recommending its immediate stoppage. The prejudicial effect of the suspension is thus clear.... Such a suspension will be taken by the Jewish people as a challenge to the established position whereby Jews enter Palestine as of right, subject only to economic considerations... No more humiliating end could be imagined for the chapter of martyrdom through which the Jews of Palestine are passing so bravely. For a long time to come the Jews will smart under this offence. The younger among them particularly will not fail to learn the dangerous lesson that much as the virtue of self-restraint may be lauded it does not save those who exercise it from a glaringly unjust retribution." 39. The struggle against the suspension of immigration was carried, on concurrently in London and in Jerusalem, the centre of gravity of the contest shifting alternately from one place to the other. At the end of July, in announcing the composition and powers of the Royal Commission in the House of Commons, the Colonial Secretary said: "As regards, however, the suggestion that there should be a temporary suspension of immigration while the Commission is carrying out its inquiry I am not at present in a position to make any statement as to the intentions of His Majesty's Government beyond saying that their decision will be taken in due course on the merits of the case and that there is no question of its being influenced by violence or attempts at intimidation." _ ..,