British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 79. Historical Summary: Period IX: May, 1945. The agitation for a Jewish State and unrestricted immigration

CHAPTER II.
proposed as a temporary measure provided (a) the first mayor was a Jew, (b) the Christian mayor was British and (c) the period of tenure of office in rotation was extended from one to two vears. Following this rejection by both sides of the High Commissioner’s proposals, the Arab councilors absented themselves from the Council meetings and thus became disqualified as members of the Council. The Jewish members by themselves did not constitute a quorum and, so as to provide for the continuance of the administration of the municipality until such time as the conflicting claims could be reconciled, the appointment of a Commission of six British Government officials was announced on 11th July. lt was also announced that the Chief Justice had been appointed by the High Commissioner to enquire into the problem and to make recommendations. Sir William Fitzgerald's report was received by Government on 30th August, 1945.

March, 1945.

A general political agitation against alleged leniency in the administration of the Land Transfers Regulations was begun by the Arab leaders. Arab land brokers were pilloried in the Arab press and one of them was murdered in the streets of Jaffa. On 14th April Lord Gort received a delegation of five Arab leaders headed by Ahmad Hilmi Pasha, the chairman of the Arab Nationa] Fund, and undertook to examine the allegations of evasion of the Regulations. On 2nd June a committee was appointed to investigate the matter; the committee's report, which revealed certain methods of evasion but found that there had been no contravention of the Regulations, was submitted to Government on 28th November, 1945. (See (d) of section 7 of chapter VIII).

May, 1945.

The celebrations on VE-Day, in so far as the Arab and Jewish communities were concerned, "took the form of demonstrations of nationalist sentiments and a display of Zionist and Arab flags. The Jews seized the occasion to Jay emphasis on the sufferings of European Jewry and the need for unrestricted immigration.

22nd May, 1945.

A general strike proclaimed by the Arab parties in sympathy with the Levant States following the shelling of Damascus by the French passed off quietly. Committees were formed by most of the Arab local communities to collect funds to assist Svria in its struggle for independence, and volunteers for the Syrian resistance forces were registered.

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