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 87

87 Moslem Council and the Mayor of Jerusalem. These submissions were not acted upon and the impression was created throughout the country, among Arabs not less than among the Jews, that. Government was not averse tc the strike being continued. 6. We placed special emphasis upon the abnormal situation which had arisen in the port of Jaffa, a function of which is to serve the large Jewish population of Tel Aviv and its environs, in that its work was completely stopped. We requested of Government to afford Jewish merchants, agents and porters, the possibility to continue their work in the port and to take steps which would result in the resumption of the off-loading of goods. This request, again, was repeatedly refused. On the 25th of April we were assured that the port would be opened on the 27th of April, but when we had the honour of interviewing Your Excellency on the same day, you informed us that in the opinion of the District Administration, work in the port entailed the danger of riots and bloodshed, and that therefore the port could not be opened. The adoption of this course implied an abandonment by Government of its functions and the surrender of control over one of the most vital public services. The Jaffa port was for all practical purposes delivered into the hands of the Arab Strike Committee which was thus enabled to impose its will, not only upon the Arab merchants and workmen, but on the Jews as well. We would point out chat this opinion of the District Administration, on the basis of which Government acted, apart from its appearing to us inadmissible on political and legal grounds was proved to be unfounded in fact. A day after Your Excellency informed us that the District Commissioner at Jaffa regarded the opening of the port as fraught with serious danger, a few Jewish merchants of Tel Aviv commenced the removal of goods from Jaffa port without the assistance of Government and without being in any way hindered. 7. Still more astonishing Was the failure of Government to permit the unloading of merchandise on the foreshore of Tel Aviv, as proposed by us to Your Excellency on several occasions. Such unloading would not even have entailed any use of force. The Jewish citizens of Tel Aviv are undoubtedly entitled to import food and merchandise by sea for the needs of their town even when the Arab lightermen of Jaffa chose to strike or are intimidated into striking. Incidentally, such unloading of goods would unquestionably have hastened the collapse of the strike. The failure of Government to fulfil this reasonable and just request of Tel Aviv is again being interpreted by the public, Arab as well as Jewish, as employing Government's support for the continuation of the strike. On numerous occasions we drew Your Excellency's attention to the grave harm which must result from such an im-