Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 477

any amendments which might appear, desirable in the light of those criticisms would be effected by subsequent amending legislation. (<?).—Amnesty. In connection with the approaching Jubilee of the Reign of Their Majesties, the Political Representative of the Agency raised in January 1935 the question of the two Jewish prisoners of the 1929 riots and pleaded for their release. On being asked about its attitude to an amnesty that would include all Arab prisoners of the 1929 riots, the Executive replied that it would raise no objection to such an all-round amnesty. Eventually Government decided on a partial amnesty, which was proclaimed not in connection with Their Majesties' Jubilee but on the King's Birthday. The Executive had reasons to expect that both Jewish prisoners would come under the partial amnesty, but it appeared that on the strict interpretation of the formula adopted by the Government only one Jew could benefit from full pardon while the other had to spend another fourteen months in prison. The Executive made representations for an immediate release of the second prisoner and intends to pursue the matter, (/).—Abrogation of Citizenship. The Political Representative expressed the Jewish Agency's strong opposition to Government's intention to abrogate the citizenship of the members of the Biryonim group who had been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. Without entering into the merits of the offence of which these persons had been convicted, the representative of the Jewish Agency urged the principle that no discrimination be made as regards punishment for offence between Jews who were Palestinians by birth and those who acquired citizenship upon immigration. He insisted particularly that the abrogation of citizenship, which as a rule is a preliminary step to deportation, should not be resorted to with regard to naturalised Jews, who by the very fact of their naturalisation, have made Palestine their permanent home. Government eventually abandoned its original intention. (g).—Tourist Traffic. The Political Department continued to supervise the work of the Zionist Information Bureau for tourists, maintained jointly by the Executive, the Keren Kayemeth and the Keren Hayesod. The work of the Information Bureau expanded considerably in the period under review as a result of the growth of the tourist traffic and the development of a more detailed and practical interest on the part of tourists in the possibilities of investment and establishment in Palestine. The main office of the Information Bureau remained in Jerusalem, but temporary branch offices were opened in Haifa and in Tel-Aviv, and an attempt was made to establish a tourist club in Jerusalem. During the last season 1,500 tourists called for advice at the Information Bureau in Jerusalem, while 477