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he fled to Germany and there played his role as Axis ally in the
war against the United Nations.
In 1943, a number of prominent Palestinian Arabs made an
effort to establish an Arab Higher Committee but were prevented
from achieving their purpose by followers of the Mufti who had
remained in Palestine during the war and who feared that, in the
absence of the Mufti, the new body would oust them from leadership.
In 1944, however, the effort to establish an Arab Higher
Committee was given stimulus when the Arab states, under British
incentive, began to form what has now become known as the Arab
League. In September of that year, political leaders from neigh-
boring Arab countries came to Palestine to urge Palestinian Arabs
to agree among themselves on the composition of an Arab Higher
Committee. These attempts again met with failure, due in every
instance to the opposition of the followers of the Mufti who were
hopefully awaiting his return from Germany and his resumption of
leadership.
A temporary truce was established in 1944 when Musa el Alami,
a mild supporter of the Mufti, was recognized by the Arab League as
the sole representative of Palestinian Arabs, pending the formation
of a Palestine Arab Higher Committee.
A few months after V-E Day, when the Husseini family, to their
great astonishment, found that the British were reluctant to try the
Mufti as a war criminal, they were emboldened openly to demand the
return of the Mufti and his aides to Palestine. In this they were
joined by the Arab states and the Arab League.
In November 1945, the Foreign Minister of Syria, Jamil Mardam,
headed an Arab delegation to Palestine, the sole purpose of which was
to solve the problem of setting up an Arab Higher Committee. The
Husseini family finally agreed to the establishment of an Arab Higher
Committee on the promise that the Arab League would induce the British
to release Jamal Husseini, nephew of the Mufti, from his internment in
Rhodesia as a pro-Axis leader. Assurance was also given to them
that the chairmanship of the Arab Higher Committee would be held open
for the Mufti on his return, and that the vice chairmanship would be
assigned to Jamal Husseini. When most of the seats had also been
assigned to the Husseini family, the Arab Higher Committee was es-
tablished.
Leaders of the other Palestine Arab parties attacked the form-
ation of the committee on the ground that it was unrepresentative.
The Arab press demanded the holding of elections. No notice, however,
was taken of these objections. Soon after its formation, however,
the committee was boycotted even by some of its own members and was
again dissolved.
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"ocrText": "-2-\nhe fled to Germany and there played his role as Axis ally in the\nwar against the United Nations.\nIn 1943, a number of prominent Palestinian Arabs made an\neffort to establish an Arab Higher Committee but were prevented\nfrom achieving their purpose by followers of the Mufti who had\nremained in Palestine during the war and who feared that, in the\nabsence of the Mufti, the new body would oust them from leadership.\nIn 1944, however, the effort to establish an Arab Higher\nCommittee was given stimulus when the Arab states, under British\nincentive, began to form what has now become known as the Arab\nLeague. In September of that year, political leaders from neigh-\nboring Arab countries came to Palestine to urge Palestinian Arabs\nto agree among themselves on the composition of an Arab Higher\nCommittee. These attempts again met with failure, due in every\ninstance to the opposition of the followers of the Mufti who were\nhopefully awaiting his return from Germany and his resumption of\nleadership.\nA temporary truce was established in 1944 when Musa el Alami,\na mild supporter of the Mufti, was recognized by the Arab League as\nthe sole representative of Palestinian Arabs, pending the formation\nof a Palestine Arab Higher Committee.\nA few months after V-E Day, when the Husseini family, to their\ngreat astonishment, found that the British were reluctant to try the\nMufti as a war criminal, they were emboldened openly to demand the\nreturn of the Mufti and his aides to Palestine. In this they were\njoined by the Arab states and the Arab League.\nIn November 1945, the Foreign Minister of Syria, Jamil Mardam,\nheaded an Arab delegation to Palestine, the sole purpose of which was\nto solve the problem of setting up an Arab Higher Committee. The\nHusseini family finally agreed to the establishment of an Arab Higher\nCommittee on the promise that the Arab League would induce the British\nto release Jamal Husseini, nephew of the Mufti, from his internment in\nRhodesia as a pro-Axis leader. Assurance was also given to them\nthat the chairmanship of the Arab Higher Committee would be held open\nfor the Mufti on his return, and that the vice chairmanship would be\nassigned to Jamal Husseini. When most of the seats had also been\nassigned to the Husseini family, the Arab Higher Committee was es-\ntablished.\nLeaders of the other Palestine Arab parties attacked the form-\nation of the committee on the ground that it was unrepresentative.\nThe Arab press demanded the holding of elections. No notice, however,\nwas taken of these objections. Soon after its formation, however,\nthe committee was boycotted even by some of its own members and was\nagain dissolved."
}