The Maccabaean

There is another thing that should be noted. The nations of the world represented at Paris recognize the international Zionist Organization as the unofficial government representing the Jews of all countries. The leaders of the Zionists were, therefore, taken to be the leaders of the Jews generally. About the middle of February, when the Zionist Bureau established at Paris to .deal with the Peace Conference became the center of Jewish activities before the same conference, all Jewish problems, nationalistic, political, and religious, and those relating to equal rights, were brought for consideration to that Bureau. It was natural, therefore, that at that time all Jewish representatives, from Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Galicia, Salonica, America, England, France, and from all corners of the globe, made the Zionist Bureau their general headquarters, from which the various demands and memorandums were sent to the Peace Conference.

Dr. Weizmann, it should be recalled now, was rather sceptical during the early days in January regarding the possible outcome of the Zionist movement. The other leaders, especially London, did not know any better spirits at that time. However, in the course of one month things took an entirely different turn. When I met Dr. Weizmann in Paris about the end of January, he was very jubilant as to the possible outcome, and his talk was optimistic. Every

word that he had told me then came true. It is interesting to state here the program he outlined for me in the briefest words possible. Let Zionists judge how absolutely true every word proved to me. His program was:

(1) Palestine is to be placed under the League of Nations. (2) Great Britain is to receive the mandatory power over Palestine by the League of Nations. (3) The League of Nations accepts the principle that a Jewish Homeland is to be established in Palestine. (4) The Jews in Palestine are to have autonomy over their own interests and institutions. (5) Jewish immigration into Palestine is to be regulated by the Jews in Palestine through the Zionists. (6) When in the course of time the Jews will form a majority of the population in Palestine, the Jewish State, in the fullest sense of the word, will begin to function. (7) Finally, both the mandatory power and the other nationalities in Palestine, accept the principle that the Holy Land is and will become eventually a Jewish Home leading

When I reflect now upon the results accomplished by our Zionist leaders, I cannot help but admire the clear outlook of Dr. Weizmann, every one of whose points came true and was accepted by the Peace Conference.

“I want to take the opportunity, first, to convince American Zionists by telling you what I have often said to Dr. Weizmann (representing British Zionist) in Arabia and Europe. We feel that the Arab and Jews are cousins in race, have suffered similar oppression at the hands of powers stronger than themselves and by a happy coincidence have been able to take the first step toward the attainment of their national ideals together.

"We Arabs look with the deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement. Our deputation in Paris is fully acquainted with the proposals submitted by the Zionists to the Peace Conference and regards them as moderate and proper. We will do our best to help them through and wish the Jews a most hearty welcome home.

“With the chiefs of your movement, especially Dr. Weizmann, we have had and continue to have the closest relations. He has been a great helper of our cause, and I hope the Arabs will soon be in a position to make the Jews some return for their kindness. We are working together for a reformed and revived Near East, and our two movements complete each other. The Jewish movement is national,

and not imperialist; so is our movement national, and not imperialist, and there is room in Syria for both of us. Indeed, I think neither can be a real success without the other.

“People less informed and less responsible than our leaders and yours, ignoring the need of co-operation between Arabs and Zionists, have been trying to exploit the local difficulties that must necessarily arise in Palestine in the early stages of our movements. Some of them have, I am afraid, misrepresented your aims to the Arab peasantry and our aims to the Jewish peasantry, with the result that interested parties have been able'to make capital out of what they call our differences.

“I wish to assure you of my firm conviction that these differences are not on questions of principle, but on matters of detail, such as inevitably arise from every contact of neighboring peoples, and may be easily adjusted by mutual good will. Indeed, nearly all of them will disappear with further knowledge. My people look forward to a future in which we shall help you and you will help us, so that the countries in which we are mutually interested will once again take their place in the community of civilized peoples of the world.”