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 111

Ill of the organisers of the disturbances and its attitude to their activities served to strengthen this dangerous belief on the part of the Arab population. The apparent interruption of the disturbances about the middle of October in no way removed or weakened that belief. The large military forces which were brought to Palestine from England in September, 1936, returned to England without the Government having made « use of their services to put down the disturbances. The Palestine Martial Law (Defence) Order-in-Council which was promulgated by His Majesty's Government and invested the authorities in Palestine with wide powers for putting an end to lawlessness and terrorism has not been put into operation to this very day. Its only result in practice has been to invalidate the Emergency Regulations then in force, thereby weakening further the law and the administration of justice in the country. To this day not one of the murderers of the ,many Jews who were assassinated during the disturbances has suffered the supreme penalty. Hardly any of them at all have been brought to triai. This is also the case with regard to the Arab murderers whose victims were Arabs. The Arab armed gangs have not been disarmed in spite of the fact that the Administration has at its disposal, large military forces. Those who organised the "armed rebellion" have not been punished, although their names are generally known to Arabs as well as Jews throughout the country. The Jewish Community of Palestine is willing and able to defend itself against the terrorists by its own efforts if the Government will not restrict its right of self-defence. The maintenance of order and security is, however, an elementary duty of Government. It is for Government to put an end to lawlessness and to all terrorism and intimidation, overt and covert. In the light of the unfortunate experience of this last year the Executive of the Jewish Agency is convinced that without a radical change in the administration of security, the situation in the country will not improve. It is, indeed, to be feared that without such a change the terror is apt to increase. The acts of murder and banditry which have continued intermittently for almost a year and the very real danger of more violent outbreaks in the near future place a grave responsibility upon the Mandatory Government. If law and order are to be reestablished in the country it is imperative that an effective and firm administration of security be set up without delay. THE EXECUTIVE OF THE JEWISH AGENCY Jerusalem, March 15, 1937.