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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [284r] (568/1144)
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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
In fact? however'i the word M Ara■b ,, covers a number^
of un5.ts ? which? though all spealcing Arabic and all
inhabiting the Middle Sast as neighbours? differ in race?
in religion? in culture? in way of living? in stage of
development and in political aims* Further reference is
made below to these differences,,
4o But there has also been a parallel movement on the
part of the Jews for the unification of the whole of the
Middle tfast* Since Theodor Herzl founded the Zionist
Organisation in 1897 this conception? with Palestine as the
centre of the unified area? has appealed to Jewry as
providing a sphere for Jewish activity and domination,
and at one period or another it has received impetus from
opportunities appearing to present themselves for its
translation into practice* The later stages of the last
war was one such opportunity* What is assumed to be the
later stages of the present war is another* In each case, it
has been felt, the general settlement to be reached at the
Peace Conference must include a recognition of Jewish u rights”
formally recognised by the victorious powers*
6* The Balfour Declaration of 1917 accorded recognition
for ”a National Home for the Jewish people” in Palestine?
with a reservation to safeguard the ”civil and religious
rights” of the rest of the population*
It is to be noted that, to quote the Royal Commission’s
Report (page 40), !? In 1919? when the Covenant was signed,
the vast majority of the population was Arab* It was those
half million Arabs, with a small minority of 66,000 Jews?
who had been removed from Turkish rifle and were now to be
entrusted to Mandatory admlnietration”• There are now
something over a million Arabs, of whom nearly 97,000 are
Christians? and over 463,000 Jews in Palestine* These
latter have built a National Home in Palestine and they
are conscious of a great opportunity,about to arise for
extending its sphere* Arab ”federation” is useful for this
purpose*
6* Thus we have the idea of unification as canvassed
by the ”Arabs” for their own reasons, concurrently taken up
by the Jews, who had already thought of it? and who see in
it a unique opportunity for the extension of their own
influence and power* There are differences of opinion,
of course, among the Jews themselves as to how beat
unification may serve their ends* Some would restrict
influence and power in the unified area to matters cultural
and economic; some (the political Zionists in particular)
would extend them to politics and Government; some would
go further in the direction of compromise with His Majesty’s
Government and/or the ’’Arabs” than would others; but there
would, I think, be general agreement that the spread of
Jewish
About this item
- 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 View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement' [284r] (568/1144), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2110, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100047229911.0x0000ab> [accessed 21 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2110
- Title
- Coll 6/43 'Pan Arab Congress 1933. Attitude of H.M.G. to a Pan Arab Movement'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:6v, 9r:24v, 27r:59v, 61r:62v, 73r:78v, 82r:93v, 95r:103v, 105r:106v, 111r:111v, 113r:115v, 118r:120v, 122r:132v, 134r:152v, 158r:199v, 201r:265v, 273r:354v, 356r:381v, 384r:394v, 398r:407v, 410r:516v, 518r:565v, 567r:571v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence