7 JUNE 1946, Page 12

" THE PALESTINE PROBLEM "

SIR,—The phrase " Palestine problem " is often heard. Is there such a problem? The facts and realities of Palestine present no problem at all, in the sense of an intellectual difficulty. There is simply, on the one hand, a civilised and patriotic Arab people, anxious to live peacefully, pro- gressively and freely in its own country ; and, on the other hand, a rich and influential foreign community, anxious to achieve the invasion of that country in great force and to oust the original inhabitants from control. Nevertheless, there is a problem. It is the problem of the world's attitude to this invasion ; the attitude, for instance, of many Englishmen. I find here more than a problem ; I find a mystery. A short time ago half a dozen very eminent and perfectly high-minded Englishmen, in a letter to The . Times, pressed (and thousands more press daily) for the immediate implementation of the Anglo-American Committee's recommendation to admit too,000 more European Jews to Palestine. They advocate, in fact, whole-hearted Zionism, or, at the very least, wholesale Jewish immigra- tion, and no nonsense about Arab objections. What does this mean? It means that they say, in fact: " British promises and solemn undertakings are all very well ; they should always be honoured, except in the case of

Palestine. It is true that H.M.G. undertook, originally and repeatedly, that the Jewish National Home should not be allowed to prejudice the civil rights of the Arabs of Palestine. It is true that we declared before the world (November, ,1918) that we aimed at: ' the complete and final enfranchisement of the people so long oppressed by the Turks, and the establishment of national governments and administrations drawing their authority from the initiative and free choice of the native populations.' But, in spite of these Eft-repeated British undertakings, we now think it right to force masses of intensely unwanted European immigrants into Arab Palestine."

They say : " Self-determination is all very well, but not in Palestine. Admittedly, you have there a homogeneous native population quite capable of managing its own affairs and government, and admittedly they most definitely self-determine for freedom and a government of their own. But this (which we should cordially approve anywhere else) would not suit our plans in Palestine." They say : " Democracy is all very well, but not in Palestine. It does not suit us there that the will of a very great majority should prevail, nor that the people of that country should be democratically organised." They say : " In foreign countries, in America, even in England, we cannot do what we should like. We cannot make these large territories accept Jews. But we have Palestine in our power. It is unsuitable, because!, small and barren. It has already admitted a Jewish National Home ; it has already done enormously more than its share of Jewish refugee-absorption. But we can, by force of arms, make it do more." They say: " We are not unaware of what will be the whole Arab world's reaction to our plans, if implemented. This is regrettable, but we must accept it. It is merely one part of the price which we think it right to pay—many British lives will be another ; grave damage to very important British interests another—for the privilege of benefiting Polish, German, Rumanian and Hungarian Jewry." If this is not what so many well-meaning and Highly-civilised Englishmen say, then what, Sir, do 93 Hillway, Highgate, N. 6.