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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [‎142r] (284/1144)

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The record is made up of 1 file (570 folios). It was created in 21 Dec 1932-5 Mar 1948. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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3
Government, in deference to Iraq’s alliance with Great Britain, a tacit truce has
been observed in agitation about Palestine, but towards the end q|, 1942.,news of
Jewish arming in Palestine and of Zionist propaganda in Ameriek phused fears
to be felt in this country that the Zionist Jews were taking advant&geTTf this'Arab
quiescence to strengthen their own position. During a visit to Cairo in December
1942, the Prime Minister discussed with Nahas Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. the idea of addressing a
lest to the United States Government to dissuade their prominent citizens from
making public statements favourable to militant and extreme Zionism, and also
endeavoured to induce King Abdul Aziz al Saud to take parallel action. In
March 1943 the Iraqi Government communicated a memorandum to His Majesty’s
Government in which concern was expressed at the increase of Zionist propa
ganda in Great Britain and the United States, and added that the Iraqi Govern
ment could not overlook the possible effect of such propaganda in Iraq, where the
people were deeply interested in the Palestine question. His Majesty’s Govern
ment, in their reply, drew attention to the answer given by the then Secretary of
State for the Colonies to a question by Lord Davies in the House of Lords on
the 6th May, 1942, in the following words : “ While I would make it clear that
there has been no change in the policy of His Majesty’s Government with regard
to Palestine, the noble Lord may rest assured that His Majesty’s Government
will not enter into commitments regarding the future of that country without
prior consultation with those including both Arabs and Jews whom they may
judge to be concerned.” The reply added that the policy reaffirmed in that
statement remained that of His Majesty’s Government. This reply appears to
have been accepted.
The general attitude of Iraqi Arabs towards the Palestine question is that
they are resigned to the policy of the Palestine White Paper of 1939 and regard it
as the declared and accepted policy of His Majesty’s Government. They look
forward to the early implementation of its constitutional provisions, and many
hope that this having been done the way will be clear for Palestine to enter into
closer political, cultural and economic relations with her neighbours. Any material
whittling away of the safeguards provided for the Arabs in the White Paper, and
especially any relaxation of its restrictions on Jewish immigration, would be
regarded as a serious breach of faith and would provoke dangerous reactions in
this country, where our politico-strategic interests are likely in the difficult post
war years to assume even greater importance than they do to-day. In particular,
the large Jewish community would be in jeopardy.
The Iraqi Prime Minister has set out his personal views on the future of
Palestine and Syria and on the Federation of the Arab States in a lengthy
memorandum which he addressed in January last to the Minister of State at
Cairo. It began with a renewed protest against current Zionist claims and
propaganda, went on to review the recent history of Syria and Palestine, and
concluded with a recommendation that the United Nations should immediately
declare the federation of Syria, the Lebanon, Palestine and Transjordan Used in three contexts: the geographical region to the east of the River Jordan (literally ‘across the River Jordan’); a British protectorate (1921-46); an independent political entity (1946-49) now known as Jordan into one
State and promote the formation of an Arab Union, to which this Greater Syria
and Iraq should adhere at once and other Arab States join at will.
26^/f April, 1943.

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Content

This file concerns the British Government's response to the Pan-Arab movement during the 1930s and 1940s. Much of the correspondence refers to the prospect of an Arab federation, although the use of the word 'federation' is noted in some of the correspondence as being a mistranslation of the original Arabic expression, which would be more accurately represented by the words 'unification' or 'unity'.

Significant subjects of discussion include:

  • Arab party politics in Palestine.
  • Iraqi-Egyptian relations.
  • Italian propaganda in the Middle East.
  • The future of Palestine.
  • Britain's post-war policy in the Middle East.
  • Whether the Arab states should be induced to make a wartime declaration in favour of the democracies (i.e. the Allies).
  • The formation of the Arab League (also referred to as the Arab Federation in the correspondence).
  • Details of the Pact (also referred to as Covenant) of the Arab League, signed in Cairo on 22 March 1945.
  • Whether representatives of the Arab League should be present at the Palestine Conference in London, in 1947, in addition to representatives of Arab states.

Notable correspondents include the following: the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the High Commissioner for Iraq; His Majesty's Ambassador in Baghdad; the High Commissioner for Egypt; His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo; the High Commissioner for Palestine; His Majesty's Minister at Jedda; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; the Minister of State in the Middle East; officials of the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. , the Commonwealth Relations Office, and the Indian Political Service The branch of the British Government of India with responsibility for managing political relations between British-ruled India and its surrounding states, and by extension the Gulf, during the period 1937-47. 's External Affairs Department; Noury Said [Nūrī al-Sa‘īd], Prime Minister of Iraq; George Antonius, Lebanese-Egyptian author and diplomat.

Also included with the correspondence are the following:

  • Extracts from Palestine police summaries dating from 1933 to 1936, produced by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jerusalem.
  • A printed copy of a paper on Arab federation by the Foreign Research and Press Service, dated 20 June 1941.
  • Copies of documents produced by the War Cabinet's Standing Official Sub-Committee for Questions Concerning the Middle East (also referred to as the Middle East (Official) Committee), including minutes of meetings (1941-1942) and a copy of a report on Arab Federation, dated January 1942.
  • A copy (in French) of the Protocol of the Preparatory Committee for the Arab Congress, dated 7 October 1944.
  • Copies of the Pact/Covenant of the recently formed Arab League (consisting of a printed copy in French, distributed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an English translation of the full Arabic text, which includes a passage that was omitted from the French version).

The French material consists of the aforementioned Protocol and Arab League Pact, plus one item of correspondence and a copy of a newspaper extract.

The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folios 2-3).

Extent and format
1 file (570 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 571; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Two previous foliation sequences, which are also circled, have been superseded and therefore crossed out.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [‎142r] (284/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229910.0x000057> [accessed 14 July 2026]

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