The Crisis in Palestine Ambushes, bomb outrages, attacks on military
patrols and on the railways continue in Palestine, and in the opinion of many competent observers worse is still to come. Perhaps the greatest danger is that the Arab leaders are now feared to have lost control of their followers. Armed bands of Arabs are entering the villages and organising resistance and raising funds. There seems to be no truth in the story that 60,000 non- Palestinian Arabs are waiting to invade Palestine, but the troubles in Palestine may yet have serious effects in other Arab countries. Unfortunately, in the present condition of Palestine, there can be no immediate policy but that of restoring order. It is a confession of failure, but a necessary one. No Government, whatever its sympathies, can allow organised violence to continue. There remains, however, the problem of what is to be done when the violence is subdued, and for any solution of that we must presumably wait until the Royal Com- mission has reported. The ultimate decision must rest with the Government. But it cannot be taken until the Government is clear in its own mind what future it envisages for Palestine. If the country is ever to emerge from Crown Colony rule, some permanent reconciliation of the two races must eventually be produced.
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