Churchill, Palestine and Zionism, 1904-1922 - Douglas J. Feith

Palestine and Zionism, 1904-1922 247
oppose "step by step establishment of elective institutions." The "morrow
of the Jaffa riots" was not, as Churchill put it, "the best moment for
making such a concession."lOo A few weeks later, Churchill commented
on the subject to his private secretary: There was great folly in "going out
of our way to procure a hungry lion and then walking up to him with a
plate of raw beef to see how much he would like to take."101
Samuel prepared a major policy speech for delivery on the king's birthday,
3 June. Churchill reviewed the text in advance and approved it, though
he warned Samuel against "paraphrasing" the term "national home,"
which Samuel wanted to define as a "spiritual centre.,,102 In the speech,
as delivered, Samuel announced that conditions in Palestine precluded
"anything in the nature of mass immigration. ,,103 While lifting the immigration
ban he had imposed during the Jaffa riots, Samuel declared that
the administration would henceforth restrict Jewish immigration to keep
within the "economic capacity" of the country to absorb new arrivals. 104
Samuel stressed that Britain would "never agree to a Jewish Government
being set up to rule over the Moslem and Christian majority.,,105
Zionist leaders protested. They promoted immigration so that the Jews
could become a majority and then establish a democratic government in
what would be a predominantly Jewish state. It was infuriating that Samuel
would, on the one hand, imply that the Jews wanted to rule as a minority
over the Arabs and, on the other hand, impose immigration restrictions
and suggest that Britain would preserve the Arab majority.
In a speech to the House of Commons on 14 June, Churchill endorsed
Samuel's absorptive capacity standard. But he stressed that "the country
is greatly under-populated." He also praised the Zionist settlers for bringing
about the general economic betterment of Palestine/ 06 oppose "step by step establishment of elective institutions." The "morrow
of the Jaffa riots" was not, as Churchill put it, "the best moment for
making such a concession."lOo A few weeks later, Churchill commented
on the subject to his private secretary: There was great folly in "going out
of our way to procure a hungry lion and then walking up to him with a
plate of raw beef to see how much he would like to take."101
Samuel prepared a major policy speech for delivery on the king's birthday,
3 June. Churchill reviewed the text in advance and approved it, though
he warned Samuel against "paraphrasing" the term "national home,"
which Samuel wanted to define as a "spiritual centre.,,102 In the speech,
as delivered, Samuel announced that conditions in Palestine precluded
"anything in the nature of mass immigration. ,,103 While lifting the immigration
ban he had imposed during the Jaffa riots, Samuel declared that
the administration would henceforth restrict Jewish immigration to keep
within the "economic capacity" of the country to absorb new arrivals.
though he
criticized the "ardour" of Zionist declarations, "which alarm the Arabs."
104
Samuel stressed that Britain would "never agree to a Jewish Government
being set up to rule over the Moslem and Christian majority.,,105
Zionist leaders protested. They promoted immigration so that the Jews
could become a majority and then establish a democratic government in
what would be a predominantly Jewish state. It was infuriating that Samuel
would, on the one hand, imply that the Jews wanted to rule as a minority
over the Arabs and, on the other hand, impose immigration restrictions
and suggest that Britain would preserve the Arab majority.
In a speech to the House of Commons on 14 June, Churchill endorsed
Samuel's absorptive capacity standard. But he stressed that "the country
is greatly under-populated." He also praised the Zionist settlers for bringing
about the general economic betterment of Palestine/ 06 though he
criticized the "ardour" of Zionist declarations, "which alarm the Arabs."
100 Churchill to Samuel, telegram, June 4, 1921, in WSC IV C 1493.
101 Churchill to Archibald Sinclair, message, June 18, 1921, in WSC IV 615-16.
102 Klieman, Foundations, 182. In a June 20,1921, memorandum, General Congreve wrote,
"In Palestine we are attempting to reconcile two ideals, extreme Zionism and extreme
pan-Arabism, both equally undesirable and to a great extent artificial. ... The Arabs
wish to find definite expression for their national sentiments-the Jews wish to found
a cultural centre. It is practically impossible to find a policy which will satisfy the extremists
of both parties." Note that Congreve here implies that any Jews who aspire to
something more than a Jewish "cultural center" in Palestine are extremists whom Britain
should not even try to satisfy: WSC IV C 1517.
103 Cohen, Churchill and the Jews, 105. 104 WSC IV 589.
lOS Cohen, Churchill and the Jews, 104.
106 On his recent Palestine visit, Churchill had taken a tour, under Rutenberg's guidance,
of some Jewish settlements, which had given him confidence that the new immigrants