File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎149r] (306/834)

137 —
ZIONISTS AND SYRIANS IN EGYPT.
Before the arrival of the Zionist Commission, the attitude of
leading Syrians and Palestinians in Egypt had passed through a
phase of uncompromising opposition to a gradual realization oi' the
forces at the back of Zionism and a grudging admission that
perhaps its aims were not as black as they had been painted, and
that under certain circumstances the population might even
benefit from a Jewish “invasion.” At heart, however, they
retained a deeply felt fear that the Jews not only intended to
assume the reins of Government in Palestine but also to
expropriate or buy up during the war large tracts of land owned
by Moslems and others, and gradually to force them from the
country. These apprehensions were fostered not only by their
previous experience of a rather undesirable class of Jew, but
also by the attitude of the local Jewish Committee, which,
possibly owing to a lack of orders as to what course it should
adopt, was unable to give them any satisfaction.
Everything possible was done by British Officers to allay
their fears but here again an ignorance of the exact programme
of the Zionists made the task of convincing more difficult.
On the arrival of the Commission, the state of affairs was
explained to Dr. Weissman who lost no time in meeting the
leading Syrians and Palestinians and explaining the Zionist aims.
He told them that it was his ambition to see Palestine
governed by some stable Government, that a Jewish Government
would be fatal to his plans and that it was simply his wish to
provide a home for the Jews in the Holy Land where they
could live their own national life, sharing equal rights with the
other inhabitants. He assured them that he had no intention of
taking advantage of the present conditions caused by the war by
buying up land, but that it was his object to raise to a higher
state of efficiency the existing Jewish colonies and to provide tor
future emigrants by taking up waste and crown lands orwnicn
there were ample for all sections of the community. e saic
that it was his hope to establish technical and other schools
which would be open to all and by which the Moslems and
Christians could benefit equally with the Jews. He reassured
them about the inviolability of the Moslem H'-LY a ^ es ar '
Wakf properties, and spoke sympathetically ot the Arab revolt
against* Turkish’ oppression. By tacit consent, the language
Question was not pressed by either side, and the proposal ot the
Palestinians to institute a mixed Commission of Christians Jews
and Moslems which should work to strengthen mutual good
feeling and remove causes of dissension was left over foi future
cons'deratmm ^ ^ ^ £rank aTOWa J 0 £ Zionist aims
has produced a considerable revulsion of feeling amongst the
Palestinians, who have for the first time come in contet with
European Jews of good standing. They have had the conviction