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beginning that the primary and not the intention to establish an
ultimate goal was the creation of Arab national home in the territory “Arab Palestinians
a Jewish state: “My personal hope of Palestine. Rather, in due time,
is that the Jews will make good in Arab Palestinians were intended to were intended to
Palestine and eventually found a become an ethnic minority, with full become an ethnic
Jewish State” (Lord Balfour). And civil and religious rights, within a
1
so it happened. On 14 May 1948, Jewish State. minority”
the Jewish State of Israel was
proclaimed. Relegating the Palestinian Arabs
to a minority position may seem A fourth Arab State was soon
inequitable. But recall that one of added: Article 25 of the Mandate
the conditions of San Remo and for Palestine (1922) was included
the Mandate was that the civil to accommodate the British
and religious rights of non-Jews in Government’s desire to fulfil its
Palestine would be protected. promises to the Hashemite family
for an emirate east of the Jordan
…Alongside Arab States River. Although it was initially a
Further, creation of the Jewish temporary measure, the decision
homeland needs to be seen in achieved permanent status when in
light of the creation of Arab / 1946 the territory east of the Jordan
© 2020 National Photo Collection, Zoltan Kluger
Islamic states in the remaining vast became the Kingdom of Transjordan
majority of the region – in which (since 1949 known as the
The Allied Powers had been well Jews (as well as other non-Arabs, “Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan”).
aware that the vast majority such as Druze, Kurds, Armenians,
of people living in the territory etc.) would become minorities.
of Palestine at the time was At San Remo, the Allies decided
not Jewish. They were not to to create Mandates for Syria
be removed or disadvantaged. and Mesopotamia. Thus, self-
Paragraph (b) of the San Remo determination of the Arab people in
Resolution states: “nothing shall the Middle East was to be realised
be done which may prejudice through the creation of Arab States
the civil and religious rights of in the rest of the territories of the
existing non-Jewish communities former Ottoman Empire – which
in Palestine.” But no reference later became Iraq, Syria and
was made to political rights; it was Lebanon. Lawrence of Arabia & Emir Abdullah in Jerusalem, 1921

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