British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 47

CHAPTER II.
dubbed B and C) were examined and the majority of the Commission put forward plan C as the best they were able to devise. This plan divided Palestine into three parts :-

(1) a northern part to be retained under Mandate, (2) the N egeb to be retained under Mandate, and

(3) a central part to be divided into an Arab State, a Jewish

State and an enclave around Jerusalem.

The Commissioners stated that, apart from political considerations, the question whether partition is practicable or not concerns chiefly finance and economics, and, taking into account these latter considerations, concluded that if they were to adhere strictly to their terms of reference they would have no alternative but to report that they were unable to recommend boundaries for the proposed areas which would give a reasonable prospect of the eventual establishment of self-supporting Arab and Jewish States. They therefore put forward a suggestion for a modified form of partition which they called economic federation.

A Statement of Policy by His Majesty's Government * was issued simultaneously with the Partition Commission's report. This announced the conclusion of His Majesty's Government that the examination by the Commission had "shown that the political, administrative and financial difficulties involved in the proposal to create independent Arab and Jewish States inside Palestine are so great that this solution of the problem is impracticable". The statement proceeded to say that His Majesty's Government would therefore continue their responsibility for the government of the whole of Palestine and were prepared to make a determined effort to promote an understanding between the Arabs and the Jews; they therefore proposed immediately to invite representatives of the Palestinian Arabs and of neighboring Arab States on the one hand and of the Jewish Agency on the other to confer with them in London regarding future policy, including the question of immigration into Palestine. The right to refuse to receive those leaders whom His Majesty's Government regarded as responsible for the campaign of assassination and violence was reserved. (Subsequently in the House of Commons the Secretary of State announced that the Mufti would not be accepted as a delegate). It was stated further that, if the London discussions did not produce agreement within a reasonable period of time, His Majesty's Government would take their own decision in the light of their examination of the problem and of the discussions in London, and announce the policy which they proposed to pursue; and
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* Cmd. 5893.

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