'File 11/32 Royal Commission on Palestine' [‎108r] (215/308)

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3 . The Royal Commission and previous Commissions of
Enquiry have drawn attention to the ambiguity of certain ex
pressions in the Mandate, such as the expression “ a national
home for the Jewish people ”, and they have found in this
ambiguity and the resulting uncertainty as to the objectives
of policy a fundamental cause of unrest and hostility between
Arabs and Jews. His Majesty’s Government are convinced
that in the interests of the peace and well-being of the
whole people of Palestine a clear definition of policy and
objectives is essential. The proposal of partition recommended
by the Royal Commission would have afforded such
clarity, but the establishment of self-supporting independent
Arab and Jewish States within Palestine has been found to be
impracticable. It has therefore been necessary for His
Majesty’s Government to devise an alternative policy which will,
consistently with their obligations to Arabs and Jews, meet the
1 jds of the situation in Palestine. Their views and proposals
are set forth below under the three heads, (I) The Constitution,
(II) Immigration, and (III) Land.
I.—The Constitution.
4 . It has been urged that the expression “ a national home
for the Jewish people ” offered a prospect that Palestine
might in due course become a Jewish State or Commonwealth.
His Majesty’s Government do not wish to contest the view,
which was expressed by the Royal Commission, that the Zionist
leaders at the time of the issue of the Balfour Declaration
recognised that an ultimate Jewish State was not precluded by
the terms of the Declaration. But, with the Royal Commission,
His Majesty’s Government believe that the framers of the
^^andate in which the Balfour Declaration was embodied could
not have intended that Palestine should be converted into a
Jewish State against the will of the Arab population of the
country. That Palestine was not to be converted into a Jewish
State might be held to be implied in the passage from the
^mmand Paper of 1922 * which reads as follows: —
“ Unauthorised statements have been made to the effect
that the purpose in view is to create a wholly Jewish Pales
tine. Phrases have been used such as that ‘ Palestine is to
become as Jewish as England is English . His Majesty s
Government regard any such expectation as impracticable
and have no such aim in view. Nor have they at any time
contemplated the disappearance or the subordination
of the Arabic population, language or culture in Palestine.
They would draw attention to the fact that the terms of
the (Balfour) Declaration referred to do not contemplate
that Palestine as a whole should be converted into a
* Cmd. 1700 .
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