Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 459

fui conclusion. The Political Department generally assisted the J.N.F. and other Jewish land companies in their negotiations with the Government. It has taken an active part in efforts directed to bringing about the settlement of a number of land disputes and has given advice and assistance to Jewish land-owners whose land titles were endangered. In some cases it took steps to hasten land settlement operations with a view to settling the disputes which had cropped up. The Executive made numerous representations to Government on the subject of insecurity of land tenure and exposed the political machinations which were behind the cases of encroachment upon Jewish land possessions. 8. An area of 3,300 dunams at Emek Hefer (Wadi Hawareth) the lease of which by the J.N.F. to the Government for the temporary accommodation of former Arab occupants had been the cause of some excitement in Zionist circles in 1931, was completely restored to the possession of the J.N.F. on the 15th November, 1933. The handing-over proceedings were delayed for some weeks, after the date fixed in the lease contract on account of some legal complications which had to be disposed of as well as because of the disturbed state of the country at the end of October 1933. The plan of settling the Wadi Hawareth bedouin on a tract of land acquired by the Government near Beisan having failed, owing to their refusal to leave the neighbourhood of Jewish colonies where they found employment, the Government decided to settle the northern section of the Wadi Hawareth bedouin on a swampy area of Government land adjoining Emek Hefer, which was drained for the purpose. Pending the completion of drainage operations, the J.N.F. was approached again through the intermediary of the Political Department for a temporary lease of 200 dunams of land to serve as a camping site. The lease was granted and after a time this area was also restored to the J.N.F. The southern section of the Wadi Hawareth Arabs still occupies a strip of land forming part of the Emek Hefer area, and negotiations for the final settlement of that question are pending. IV.—Municipal Self-Government. 1. During the period under review the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, 1934, was enacted and new elections took place in all the municipalities with the exception of Tel-Aviv. As a result of the new elections the Jews returned to the Municipality of Jerusalem, which they had left in 1930, and their position both in the Municipality of Jerusalem and that of Haifa was considerably strengthened. 2. The amended draft of the Municipal Corporations Bill, which was published in September 1933, formed the subject of prolonged discussions between the Jewish Agency and the Government. The new draft contained a number of improvements upon the original bill, some of which were the result of the suggestions put forward by the late Dr. Arlosoroiï in his memorandum of 459