British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 4

CHAPTER I.

Government claimed that the participation of the United States in the war entitled it to be consulted as to the terms of Mandates. The British Government agreed and a draft of the Palestine Mandate, together with those of other British Mandates, was submitted to the United States Government. At the request of the United States certain alterations were made, mainly in regard to economic matters; the United States Government insisted on the application of the principle of equal economic opportunity for all States Members of the League and the United States in respect of all Mandates with the exception of that for Palestine; it waived this claim with regard to Palestine in recognition of the special situation and the interests of the Jewish National Home. The discussions delayed submission of the draft Mandate to the Council of the League and it was not until the 24th July, 1922, that an agreed text was confirmed by the Council and until 29th September, Hl23, that it came formally into operation. This text is set out below in full :-

"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 A1lied Powers have also agreed that the Mandatory should be responsible for purring into £fffct the declaration originally made on November sod, 191i, by the Government of His Britannic Majesty, and adopted by the said Powers, in favour of the establishment in Palestine of a national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

WHEREAR 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 aforementioned Article 22 (paragraph 8), it is provided that the degree of authority, control or administration"'

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