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 88

88 pression being spread through the country, even if it has no basis in fact. To our great disappointment, our submissions proved unavailing, and we have no doubt that the creation of this impression is one of the aggravating causes of the present situation which has acted as an encouragement to lawlessness. 8. It is about a month that the Jews of Palestine are being subjected to a severe trial caused, by continued aggression and provocation. In the face of savage attacks upon life and property and, what is perhaps more serious, the challenge to their national rights, the Jewish community has manifested superhuman restraint and self-control. Not by reason of their weakness or fear did the Jews refrain from a policy of retaliation, but only by reason of a deep-seated moral conviction, of exemplary national discipline and of the recognition that the responsibility for public security, the safeguarding of the law and the maintenance of the constitutional foundations of Palestine rest upon the Administration of the country and Mandatory Government. We are confident that the moral strength and national discipline will continue to guide the Jewish community, that the Jews will continue to behave as heretofore and will not go beyond the limits of indispensable self-defence, and that they will do nothing which may aggravate the situation. We regret, however, to have to state that faith in the determination of Government to fulfil its duty is rapidly being shaken. 9. Government has failed to give the Jewish community its due share in the Defence Force, particularly in this period of danger. We readily recognise the good services rendered by many Arab policemen in various places, but we must point out that in times such as these when Arab leaders and press have proclaimed racial war against the Jews, the presence of Arab policemen in Jewish rural settlements and town quarters constitutes a possible source of danger to the Jewish population. We regard it therefore as urgently necessary to enlist such a force of Jewish policemen as would be sufficient in this emergency, together with the British police, to fill the requirements of police duty in Jewish centres. The recruitment of 100 additional Jewish policemen, which was promised long before the present disturbances, as well as the proposal to enlist some supernumerary police, cannot be regarded as adequate to meet the present urgent need. It is likewise vitally necessary to give additional arms to Jewish settlers in all places exposed to attack. 10. We regard it as our duty to place before Your Excellency again and with the utmost earnestness, the following requests for your urgent consideration and prompt action: (a) That the strike organised with the avowed purpose of arousing strife and overthrowing the existing Administra-