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

Palestine and Zionism, 1904-1922 251
civil or military, who are publicly and confessedly opposed to the declared
policy of His Majesty's Government should be replaced." This would
permit release of officials "who do not feel that they can conscientiously
carry out what some of them regard as an unfair and unpopular measure,"
namely, the Balfour Declaration. It was further proposed that the
military forces in Palestine report directly to the war office and not to the
notoriously anti-Zionist British authorities in Egypt. Also recommended
was early approval of pending public utility concessions for "Jewish enterprise,"
which included the Rutenberg hydroelectric proposal. In defense
of the expropriation provision in these concessions, Young stated: "This
cannot be regarded as conflicting in any way with the second clause of the
Balfour Declaration, which was clearly not intended to protect individuals
who are determined to thwart the execution of the main policy.,,117
Had His Majesty's government adopted this package, the history of
Palestine and the Jews might have taken an altogether different course.
Churchill distributed Young's paper to the cabinet under his own grim
cover memorandum, which said that the Palestine situation "causes me
perplexity and anxiety," Arabs and Jews "are ready to spring at each
other's throats," and war office estimates for the Palestine garrison for
1922-3 exceed £3.3 million, an expense "almost wholly due to our Zionist
policy.,,118 Churchill's memorandum, however, did not discuss or even
refer to Young's specific recommendations.
When the cabinet took up Palestine on 18 August, Churchill did not
ask approval for Young's recommendations. Rather, the minutes report,
the alternatives before the cabinet were: withdraw the Balfour Declaration,
reject the mandate, establish an Arab government, and curb or halt
Jewish immigration; or "carry out the present policy with greater vigour
and encourage the arming of the Jews." Without attributing comments
to specific ministers, the minutes highlight certain points from the discussion:
the Balfour Declaration involved the government's honor and
"to go back on our pledge would seriously reduce the prestige of this
country in the eyes of Jews throughout the world." The inconsistency
between setting up a Jewish national home and "respecting the rights of
the Arab population" must result in "estrang[ing] both Arabs and Jews,
while involving us in futile military expenditure." "Against this position
117 August 11, 1921, memorandum, in WSC IV C 1588-90. See also WSC IV 624. As
Weizmann was still in London, Young was able to obtain his consent in advance to this
package deal: see Cohen, Churchill and the Jews, 116-17.
118 Churchill's August 11, 1921, cabinet memorandum, in WSC IV C 1585-6.