Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 78

The General Council approves the manner in which the Executive has Tirged upon the Government the encouragement of close settlement of Jews in certain areas by means of ordinances, provision being made for an appropriate number of Arab cultivators squatting on the land affected to remain. 3—Palestine Loan. The General Council places on record that the manner in which the second Palestine loan is being allocated prejudices the rights of the Jewish population. The portion of the loan allotted to the building of schools has been appropriated exclusively for the building of Government schools which serve the needs only of the Arab population, no account being taken of the existing need for buildings to house Jewish schools, which is no less urgent than that for Arab school buildings. The Council does not consider that this unsatisfactory position has been adequately met by the Government's offer to fix the appropriation for the building of school-bouses as part of the annual Government grant-in-aid for Hebrew education at the now customary amount, and seconds the Vaad Leumi's demand for the provision of means for the erection of Jewish school buildings corresponding to the actual need and not to the percentage of population. 4. —Government Grants. The General Council takes note of the resolution adopted by the Assembly cf Representatives of the Knesseth Israel on December 12th, 1934, regarding the Government's share in the work of the Knesseth Israel. It directs the Executive to second the Vaad Leumi's efforts to secure the acceptance by the Government of Palestine of the following demands : (a) Government grant-in-aid for the schools maintained by the Knesseth Israel, calculated on the basis of the present proportion of the Jewish Yishub to the total population, and on the basis of the estimated budget of the Government's Education Department for the fiscal year 1935/36. (b) Grant-in-aid for the erection of Jewish school buildings in the towns, calculated on the basis of an estimate drawn up by the Education Department of the Vaad Leumi in consultation with the Education Department of the Palestine Government. (c) Increase of the annual grant to the Vaad Leumi for the needs of the Jewish public health service, for which it is responsible. (d) Grant of the sums demanded by the Jewish institutions for the provision of new public hospitals, which represent but a small proportion of the cost of such hospitals. (e) Government contribution towards the budget of the religious courts and of the Supreme Rabbinical Council of the Knesseth Israel, proportionate to the Government's contribution to the cost of maintenance of the religious courts and the Supreme Moslem Council of the Mahommedan Community of Palestine. 5. —Naturalisation. The General Council protests against the fact that the grant of Palestinian nationality is being withheld from Jews who are residing in Palestine; it regards this as contrary to the spirit of the Mandate, which places on record the historic connection between the Jewish people and Palestine. The Council directs the Executive to take appropriate action in this matter. The Council is gratified to learn the extent of the advance made during the last year by the movement for acquiring Palestinian citizenship, thanks to the efforts of the Vaad Leumi and the improved facilities of procedure secured from the Government. The Council instructs the Executive and the Vaad Leumi to continue and to intensify these efforts. It appeals to all Jews of foreign nationality domiciled in Palestine to acquire Palestinian nationality. It also appeals to all associations and active bodies of Jews of 78