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 95

APPENDIX V. SUMMARY OF JEWISH GRIEVANCES AND PROPOSALS PRESENTED TO THE PALESTINE ROYAL COMMISSION The Rt. Hon Earl Peel, G.C.S.,L, G.B.E. Chairman, Palestine Royal Commission, Jerusalem. 14th January 1937. My Lord, On behalf of the Executive of the Jewish Agency I have the honour to submit herewith a summary of Jewish grievances and proposals, presented to the Royal Commission by the witnesses who gave evidence on behalf of the Jewish Agency and other representative Jewish bodies. I have the honour to be, Your Lordship's Most obedient servant, M. Shertok. EXECUTIVE OF THE JEWISH AGENCY. I. GENERAL. 1. It is the fundamental grievance of the Jewish Agency that the policy of the Jewish National Home as embodied in the Balfour Declaration and the Mandate for .Palestine, has from the very beginning not been applied with determination and clear purpose. The attitude of the Administration has been characterised by a policy of "holding the balance" as between Jew and Arab in Palestine rather than by one of active assistance to the Jewish National Home. The personnel of the Palestine Administration recruited from the ranks of tlip Colonial Civil Service was not in many cases fitted for the unique task imposed by the Mandate on the Government of Palestine. The attitude of vacillation and indecision on the part of the Administration with regard to its mandatory obligations has helped to create the belief in certain sections of the Arab population that the policy of the Jewish National Home was not meant seriously. The elements antagonistic to the British Mandate and to Jewish settlement in Palestine derived much encouragement from the beliefs and impressions thus engendered. They were particularly strengthened by the presence in the ranks of the Administration of officials known to be hostile to the Jewish National Home and even anti-Jewish generally.