A Durable Peace (61 page)

His Royal Highness the Emir Feisal, representing and acting on behalf of the Arab Kingdom of Hedjaz, and Dr. Chaim Weizmann,
representing and acting on behalf of the Zionist Organisation, mindful of the racial kinship and ancient bonds existing between
the Arabs and the Jewish people, and realising that the surest means of working out the consummation of their national aspirations
is through the closest possible collaboration in the development of the Arab State and Palestine, and being desirous further
of confirming the good understanding which exists between them, have agreed upon the following Articles:

The Arab State and Palestine in all their relations and undertakings shall be controlled by the most cordial goodwill and
understanding, and to this end Arab and Jewish duly accredited agents shall be established and maintained in the respective
territories.

Immediately following the completion of the deliberations of the Peace Conference, the definite boundaries between the Arab
State and Palestine shall be determined by a Commission to be agreed upon by the parties hereto.

In the establishment of the Constitution and Administration of Palestine all such measures shall be adopted as will afford
the fullest guarantees for carrying into effect the British Government’s Declaration of the 2d of November, 1917.

All necessary measures shall be taken to encourage and stimulate immigration of Jews into Palestine on a large scale, and
as quickly as possible to settle Jewish immigrants upon the land through closer settlement, and intensive cultivation of the
soil. In taking such measures the Arab peasant and tenant farmers shall be protected in their rights, and shall be assisted
in forwarding their economic development.

No recognition nor law shall be made prohibiting or interfering in any way with the free exercise of religion; and further
the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference shall forever be
allowed. No religious test shall ever be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.

The Mohammedan Holy Places shall be under Mohammedan control.

The Zionist Organisation proposes to send to Palestine a Commission of experts to make a survey of the economic possibilities
of the country, and to report upon the best means for its development. The Zionist Organisation will place the aforementioned
Commission at the disposal of the Arab State for the purpose of a survey of the economic possibilities of the Arab State and
to report upon the best means for its development. The Zionist Organisation will use its best efforts to assist the Arab State
in providing the means for developing the natural resources and economic possibilities thereof.

The parties hereto agree to act in complete accord and harmony on all matters embraced herein before the Peace Congress.

Any matters of dispute which may arise between the contracting parties shall be referred to the British Government for arbitration.

Given under our hand at London, England, the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

Chaim Weizmann.

Feisal ibn-Hussein.

If the Arabs are established as I have asked in my manifesto of January 4th addressed to the British Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, I will carry out what is written in this agreement. If changes are made, I cannot be answerable for failing
to carry out this agreement.

Feisal ibn-Hussein.

D
EAR
M
R
. F
RANKFURTER:

I want to take this opportunity of my first contact with American Zionists to tell you what I have often been able to say
to Dr. Weizmann in Arabia and Europe.

We feel that the Arabs and Jews are cousins in race, having suffered similar oppressions at the hands of powers stronger than
themselves, and by a happy coincidence have been able to take the first step towards the attainment of their national ideals
together.

We Arabs, especially the educated among us, look with the deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement. Our deputation here in
Paris is fully acquainted with the proposals submitted yesterday by the Zionist Organization to the Peace Conference, and
we regard them as moderate and proper. We will do our best, in so far as we are concerned, to help them through: we will wish
the Jews a most hearty welcome home.

With the chiefs of your movement, especially with Dr. Weizmann, we have had and continue to have the closest relations. He
has been a great helper of our cause, and I hope the Arabs may soon be in a position to make the Jews some return for their
kindness. We are working together for a reformed and revived Near East, and our two movements complete one another. The Jewish
movement is national and not imperialist. Our movement is national and not imperialist, and there is room in Syria for us
both. Indeed I think that neither can be a real success without the other.

People less informed and less responsible than our leaders and yours, ignoring the need for cooperation of the Arabs and Zionists
have been trying to exploit the local difficulties that must necessarily arise in Palestine in the early stages of our movements.
Some of them have, I am afraid, misrepresented your aims to the Arab peasantry, and our aims to the Jewish peasantry, with
the result that interested parties have been able to make capital out of what they call our differences.

I wish to give you my firm conviction that these differences are not on questions of principle, but on matters of detail such
as must inevitably occur in every contact of neighbouring peoples, and as are easily adjusted by mutual good will. Indeed
nearly all of them will disappear with fuller knowledge.

I look forward, and my people with me look forward, to a future in which we will help you and you will help us, so that the
countries in which we are mutually interested may once again take their places in the community of civilised peoples of the
world.

Believe me,

Yours sincerely,

(Sgd.) Feisai

5
^TH
M
ARCH
, 1919.

The Council of the League of Nations:

Whereas the Principal Allied Powers have agreed, for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of Article 22 of the Covenant
of the League of Nations, to entrust to a Mandatory selected by the said Powers the administration of the territory of Palestine,
which formerly belonged to the Turkish Empire, within such boundaries as may be fixed by them; and

Whereas the Principal Allied Powers have also agreed that the Mandatory should be responsible for putting into effect the
declaration originally made on November 2nd, 1917, by the Government of his Britannic Majesty, and adopted by the said Powers,
in favour of the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing
should be done which might prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the
rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country; and

Whereas recognition has thereby been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds
for reconstituting their national home in that country; and

Whereas the Principal Allied Powers have selected His Britannic Majesty as the Mandatory for Palestine; and

Whereas the mandate in respect of Palestine has been formulated in the following terms and submitted to the Council of the
League for approval; and

Whereas His Britannic Majesty has accepted the mandate in respect of Palestine and undertaken to exercise it on behalf of
the League of Nations in conformity with the following provisions; and

Whereas by the afore-mentioned Article 22 (paragraph 8), it is provided that the degree of authority, control or administration
to be exercised by the Mandatory, not having been previously agreed upon by the Members of the League, shall be explicitly
defined by the Council of the League of Nations;

Confirming the said mandate, defines its terms as follows:

The Mandatory shall have full powers of legislation and of administration, save as they may be limited by the terms of this
mandate.

The Mandatory shall be responsible for placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as
will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home, as laid down in the preamble, and the development of self-governing
institutions, and also for safeguarding the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of
race and religion.

The Mandatory shall, so far as circumstances permit, encourage local autonomy.

An appropriate Jewish agency shall be recognised as a public body for the purpose of advising and co-operating with the Administration
of Palestine in such economic, social and other matters as may affect the establishment of the Jewish national home and the
interests of the Jewish population in Palestine, and, subject always to the control of the Administration, to assist and take
part in the development of the country.

The Zionist organisation, so long as its organisation and constitution are in the opinion of the Mandatory appropriate, shall
be recognised as such agency. It shall take steps in consultation with His Britannic
Majesty’s Government to secure the co-operation of all Jews who are willing to assist in the establishment of the Jewish national
home.

The Mandatory shall be responsible for seeing that no Palestine territory shall be ceded or leased to, or in any way placed
under the control of, the Government of any foreign Power.

The Administration of Palestine, while ensuring that the rights and position of other sections of the population are not prejudiced,
shall facilitate Jewish immigration under suitable conditions and shall encourage, in co-operation with the Jewish agency
referred to in Article 4, close settlement by Jews on the land, including State lands and waste lands not required for public
purposes.

The Administration of Palestine shall be responsible for enacting a nationality law. There shall be included in this law provisions
framed so as to facilitate the acquisition of Palestinian citizenship by Jews who take up their permanent residence in Palestine.