Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 454

élément of discrimination as between members of the two communities. It was pointed out that under the new legal position, a Jewish worker would not be allowed to picket a grove or a factory in protest against unfair displacement by an Arab, whereas he would be entitled to do so in case of his being displaced by a fellow Jew. These representations remained fruitless. Later in the year a turbulent state of affairs developed in Haifa as a result of Arab labour being employed on Jewish buildings. There also picketing was resorted to by Jewish labour and wholesale arrests made by the police. The intervention of the Jewish Agency was sought by the authorities with a view to calming the atmosphere, but the Executive could not but point out that deeply as it regretted Jewish labour being placed in a position of apparent antagonism to Arab labour, the action taken was not in the nature of an encroachment of Jews upon the rights of Arabs, but an act of self-protection against a very real menace of displacement. III.—Land. 1. The outstanding event in the sphere of land acquisition during the period under review was the assignment to Jewish interests of the concession for the reclamation and development of the marsh of Huleh. Government's agreement in principle to the transfer of the concession to a Jewish colonising agency was communicated to the late Dr. Arlosoroff in April 1933. The question formed also the subject of a series of conversations which Dr. Weizmann had with representatives of the Mandatory Government. In May 1933 Mr. Joshua Hankxn, who for a number of years kept in touch with the holders of the Turkish concession, concluded a preliminary agreement for its acquisition. The Political Department of the Jewish Agency was informed of this transaction and maintained close contact with further developments. The rights acquired by Mr. Hankin were eventually taken over by the Palestine Land Development Company, which entered into negotiations with the Government on the terms of the transfer. In May 1934 a conference took place between the representatives of the Government, on the one hand, and those of the Jewish Agency and the Palestine Land Development Company, on the other. The conference discussed the essential conditions of the transfer of the concession and determined a method of procedure for the settlement of outstanding questions. The Executive took an active part in the conduct of subsequent negotiations, and its assistance was of particular importance at the decisive stage of the negotiations in September 1934, which led to the final approval by the Government of the assignment of the concession to the Palestine Land Development Company. The Political Department continued to assist in the transfer formalities and in settling the difficulties attendant upon taking over proceedings. Under the terms of the assignment the Palestine Land Development Company undertook to reserve 15,000 dunams—out of a total 454