Report of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on the Problems of European Jewry and Palestine (Eretz-Israel). Lausanne, April 20, 1946. Submitted to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by Command of His Majesty. Printed at the Government Printing Office, Jerusalem.
Report of the Special Committee appointed by the Government of the United States and the Government of the United Kingdom with the purpose (as stated by the Committee): To examine the political, economic, and social conditions in Palestine (Eretz-Israel), insofar as they affect the problem of Jewish immigration and settlement in the country, and the well-being of the peoples residing therein; To investigate the situation of the Jews in those European countries where they were victims of Nazi and Fascist persecution, and the practical measures taken—or planned—in those countries to enable them to live free from discrimination and oppression; To assess the number of those who wish—or whose circumstances compel them—to migrate to Palestine or to other countries outside Europe; To hear the views of qualified witnesses and to consult with representatives of both Arabs and Jews regarding the problems of Palestine; And to recommend to His Majesty’s Government and to the Government of the United States interim measures for dealing with these problems, as well as long-term solutions. The Committee was also charged with making further recommendations to His Majesty’s Government and to the Government of the United States concerning the possibilities of emigration to countries outside Europe.
The Committee began its work on January 4, 1946. As part of its mission, it toured several European countries – Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Italy, and Greece, and returned to Jerusalem on March 6. In addition, committee envoys visited Beirut, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. The Committee presented its findings in Switzerland, with the conclusions submitted in the rare report before us. The report provides an extensive account of the balance of power between Jews and Arabs in Palestine, and reviews the implementation of previous recommendations, particularly those of the Peel Commission. Among the Committee’s conclusions was the assertion that the majority of Jews would remain in Europe, and that the refugee problem must, in the near term, be resolved within the countries themselves. To this end, the Committee explored several channels to restore stolen Jewish property from the Holocaust years and to secure reparations for the families of survivors from countries that were either under Nazi control or collaborated with the regime measures intended to help them rebuild their lives in the diaspora. The Committee also recommended the immediate issuance of 100,000 immigration certificates to Palestine for Jews residing in displaced persons camps, in accordance with understandings reached with the Jewish Agency during the inquiry. However, it is striking to read how the Committee categorically rules out the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine (only two years before it would, in fact, be established) on the grounds that the Arab minority strongly opposed such an outcome. Instead, the Committee recommended that Palestine remain under British Mandate rule, pending the implementation of a United Nations trusteeship agreement, and it proceeds to outline the details of this plan.
The Committee further recommended that the British Mandate in Palestine continue to be upheld, arguing that Jewish-Arab relations were on the verge of civil war, which “could endanger the peace of the world.”
[4], 67 pp. Minor stains to cover. Good condition.
