THE PALESTINE QUESTION.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I shall be much obliged if you will allow me to point out that the statement in your issue of November 11th that " Dr. Weizmann and his friends " have " squeezed " money out of the British taxpayer is utterly unfounded and un- justified. Neither the President of the Zionist Organization nor any member of the executive has ever applied to His Majesty's Government for any financial support whatsoever, nor, in fact, has His Majesty's Government ever expended a single penny upon Jewish colonization in Palestine. Not only has the British Exchequer contributed nothing to the creation of a Jewish National Home, but the Administration of Palestine itself has likewise given no financial aid. The simple fact is that all that has been done, and is being done, in Palestine in connexion with the promotion of the Jewish settlement is being paid for by the Jews themselves, who, during the last four years, have spent £4,000,000 in the country.
The cost of the civil administration in Palestine is defrayed entirely out of the local revenue. All that the British tax- payer pays for is the maintenance of the military defence of the country. The cost at present is £2,000,000, which is equal to a tax of about a penny in the pound—surely no intolerable burden ; and it was officially announced a few months ago that the amount would be reduced to £1,500,000 next year and to £1,000,000 the following year. In any case, it should be borne in mind (1) that the troops in Palestine are part of the Regular Army, who would have to be kept just the same even if they were removed from that country; and (2) that they are required not only for the preservation of order in Palestine, but also to protect the Suez Canal, which, after the contemplated diminution of British forces in Egypt, would otherwise be seriously exposed. The remark that the Emir of Transjordania might take over the Mandate for Palestine was probably made in ignorance of the fact that that dignitary has the utmost difficulty to maintain order within his own domain and needs the assistance of British troops and aeroplanes. And to suggest that Dr. Weizmann would try " to squeeze money " out of the Emir must. appear ludicrous to those who know that the Ruler of Transjordania cannot defray his own expenditure and receives a grant of £100,000 from the British Exchequer.
There is no justification whatever to speak about "neglecting our pledge to the Arabs," as no pledge was made to the Palestinian Arabs beyond that contained in the Balfour Declaration, and this is being faithfully observed. And, in any case, there could be no justification to violate the pledge to the Jewish people, which has been embodied in a Mandate ratified by the League of Nations. To propose, as you do, that Great Britain should ask to be relieved of the Mandate would be not only to deal a serious blow at the League of Nations, which you profess to support, but also to degrade a promise of the British Government to the level of a mere " scrap of paper." It is utterly erroneous and unjust to suggest that " a handful of Jews " rule over an Arab majority, as there is not a vestige of .Jewish government in the country. The Administration of Palestine is a British Administration, directly responsible to the British Government ; all its heads of departments, with two or three exceptions, are British Christians ; all its District Governors, without excep- tion, arc British Christians ; and of the 360 officials in its senior service 165 arc British Christians and only 50 are Jews. It is greatly to be deplored that you should risk your traditional reputation for fairness by basing your criticism upon hostile misrepresentations, and that you should have been misled into expressing approval of the latest crusade against the Holy Land.—I am, Sir, &c.,
ISRAEL. COHEN.
[We said that Dr. Weizmann would not be able to squeeze money out of the Ruler of Transjordania because the Ruler was much more likely to be in need of money himself. Surely to appeal to the League for relief is rather to recognize the League than to deal it a serious blow.--En. Spectator.]
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