Wednesday, January 05, 2011

US Congress records in 1939 - The [at least] 150,000 Arab immigrants into [almost] 'vacant' Palestine

The following is a remarkable speech given in 1939 by John William McCormack (1891 - 1980) of Massachusetts, Representative to the House, on a 'Jewish Homeland' in Palestine. Protesting harshly the British (White Papers) restriction on Jewish immigration while Arab immigration is allowed to flow. Citing the great approval by 5 presidents and an array of high officials all praising the great achievement done by the Jews in Palestine, uplifting and up-building the land. He notices the Arab immigration of at least 150,000 (equal to that of the Jews') from neighboring countries as well as an overall rise in Arab population, all due to Jews' work in the "vacant land" of Palestine, that all of a sudden made it all attractive.





Congressional record: proceedings and debates of the ... Congress
United States. Congress

Govt. Print. Off., 1939

Biography & Autobiography

Page 3065



The Jewish Homeland and the Palestine Mandate

EXTENSION OF REMARKS Of HON. JOHN W. McCORMACK
OF
MASSACHUSETTS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, July 6, 1939

Mr. McCORMACK. Mr. Speaker, "the association of the Jewish people with Palestine dates back over 4000 years. During all that time Jews have resided almost continuously in Palestine, having established Jewish commonwealths at two different periods.

The second Jewish commonwealth was destroyed by the Romans under Titus in the year AD 70.

[...]


...ward to is that at the end of 5 years all Jewish immigration will be stopped,... When the Balfour declaration was issued, it was not intended to establish another ghetto in Palestine. The Jewish population of Palestine has grown from 55000 in 1918 to its present figure of 450000. The Arab population has risen from 400000 in 1920 to about 950000, an increase of over 50 percent in 17 years. Under Turkish rule the population was almost stationary.

From all this it follows that since the Jewish population will not be allowed to increase by more than 75000, and since there will be no restriction placed upon Arab immigration, the Jewish National Home will soon be swamped by the surrounding non- Jewish population, and Jews will properly feel that they have been led into a trap by promises that they would be able to build up a commonwealth... This new plan to arbitrarily limit immigration will slow up the development of the country. With the increase of population in Palestine there has been a corresponding increase of wealth and new and increased possibilities for more...


The government at that time rejected this report, and time has shown that this rejection was correct, as 150000 Jews and an equal number of Arabs have entered the country since that time, and there are still large stretches of vacant land in the country capable of development and settlement by large population.


The establishment of the Jewish National Home has been endorsed by the 52 nations which approved the mandate. They acted after long and careful study. The American Congress unanimously adopted the Lodge-Fish resolution after an extended hearing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Five Presidents of the United States have spoken in unmistakenly glowing terms of the accomplishments of Jewish Palestine. American legislatures, including my own State of Massachusetts, have adopted resolutions favoring the reconstitution of the icans from all walks of life have expressed their approval of the work that Jews have done in Palestine toward the upbuilding of the Jewish homeland. All these responsible nations, high government officials, legislative bodies, and distinguished personalities have acted with great deliberation. It is impossible to believe that such a distinguished company can all be wrong. ... Today a new democracy is growing up in the Jewish homeland in Palestine, founded upon these same principles.
http://books.google.com/books?id=KEYuAAAAIAAJ&q=rejected+this+report

(The Jewish veteran, Volume 8, Issue 10
Author: Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
Publisher: Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, 1939
pp. 8-16
http://books.google.com/books?id=x7lKAAAAYAAJ&q=150000
http://books.google.com/books?id=x7lKAAAAYAAJ&q=swamped)



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