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3. The Arabs of Palestine point out that all the sur-
rounding Arab States have now been granted independence.
They argue that they are just as advanced as are the
citizens of the nearby States, and they demand independence
for Palestine now. The promises which have been made to
them in the name of Great Britain, and the assurances
concerning Palestine given to Arab leaders by Presidents
Roosevelt and Truman, have been understood by the Arabs
of Palestine as a recognition of the principle that they
should enjoy the same rights as those enjoyed by the
neighboring countries. Christian Arabs unite with Moslems
in all of these contentions. They demand that their
independence should be recognized at once, and they would
like Palestine, as a self-governing country, to join the
Arab League.
4. The Arabs attach the highest importance to the ful-
fillment of the promises made by the British Government
in the White Paper of 1939. King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud,
when he spoke with three members of the Committee at
Riyadh, made frequent reference both to these promises
and
to the assurances given him by the late President Roosevelt
at their meeting in February, 1945. His Majesty made clear
the strain which would be placed upon Arab friendship with
Great Britain and the United States by any policy which
Arabs regarded as a betrayal of these pledges. The same
warning was repeated by an Arab witness in Jerusalem, who
said that "Zionism for the Arabs has become a test of
Western intentions.
5. The suggestion that self-government should be withheld
from Palestine until the Jews have acquired a majority
seems outrageous to the Arabs. They wish to be masters
in their own house. The Arabs were opposed to the idea
of a Jewish National Home even before the Biltmore Program
and the demand for a Jewish State. Needless to say, however,
their opposition has become more intense and more bitter
since that program was adopted.
6. The Arabs maintain that they have never been anti-Semitic;
indeed, they are Semites themselves. Arab spokesmen profess
the greatest sympathy for the persecuted Jews of Europe,
but they point out that they have not been responsible for
this persecution and that it is not just that they should be
compelled to atone for the sins of Western peoples by
accepting into their country hundreds of thousands of
victims of European anti-Semitism. Some Arabs even declare
that they might be willing to do their share in providing
for refugees on a quota basis if the United States, the
British Commonwealth and other Western countries would do
the same.
-46-
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"ocrText": "3. The Arabs of Palestine point out that all the sur-\nrounding Arab States have now been granted independence.\nThey argue that they are just as advanced as are the\ncitizens of the nearby States, and they demand independence\nfor Palestine now. The promises which have been made to\nthem in the name of Great Britain, and the assurances\nconcerning Palestine given to Arab leaders by Presidents\nRoosevelt and Truman, have been understood by the Arabs\nof Palestine as a recognition of the principle that they\nshould enjoy the same rights as those enjoyed by the\nneighboring countries. Christian Arabs unite with Moslems\nin all of these contentions. They demand that their\nindependence should be recognized at once, and they would\nlike Palestine, as a self-governing country, to join the\nArab League.\n4. The Arabs attach the highest importance to the ful-\nfillment of the promises made by the British Government\nin the White Paper of 1939. King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud,\nwhen he spoke with three members of the Committee at\nRiyadh, made frequent reference both to these promises\nand\nto the assurances given him by the late President Roosevelt\nat their meeting in February, 1945. His Majesty made clear\nthe strain which would be placed upon Arab friendship with\nGreat Britain and the United States by any policy which\nArabs regarded as a betrayal of these pledges. The same\nwarning was repeated by an Arab witness in Jerusalem, who\nsaid that \"Zionism for the Arabs has become a test of\nWestern intentions.\n5. The suggestion that self-government should be withheld\nfrom Palestine until the Jews have acquired a majority\nseems outrageous to the Arabs. They wish to be masters\nin their own house. The Arabs were opposed to the idea\nof a Jewish National Home even before the Biltmore Program\nand the demand for a Jewish State. Needless to say, however,\ntheir opposition has become more intense and more bitter\nsince that program was adopted.\n6. The Arabs maintain that they have never been anti-Semitic;\nindeed, they are Semites themselves. Arab spokesmen profess\nthe greatest sympathy for the persecuted Jews of Europe,\nbut they point out that they have not been responsible for\nthis persecution and that it is not just that they should be\ncompelled to atone for the sins of Western peoples by\naccepting into their country hundreds of thousands of\nvictims of European anti-Semitism. Some Arabs even declare\nthat they might be willing to do their share in providing\nfor refugees on a quota basis if the United States, the\nBritish Commonwealth and other Western countries would do\nthe same.\n-46-"
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