British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 267

CHAPTER VIII.
the question de novo by Field-Marshal Lord Gort who. with the concurrence of the Executive Council, reached the conclusion that State Domain in zones A and B should not be made available for the agricultural settlement of Jewish ex-servicemen. This decision was yet again contested by the Jewish Agency in July, 1945, in an interview with the Officer Administering the Government, who subsequently informed them that it was not possible to modify the decision reached by Lord Gort.

104. The question of the availability of State Domain has been examined by Government in some detail and it has been shown that, although there are large areas of State Domain, it cannot be assumed that Government is in possession of extensive tracts of land which are lying idle. In fact, in respect both of land to which Government has a settled title and land claimed by Government as State Domain but still subject to settlement of title, there Is very little that is not already put to some useful purpose. This fact is made clear by the following analysis of State Domain made at the end of 1943 :-

(i) Lands used for public purposes, e.g. forests, rail ways, roads, etc.

(ii) Lands occupied under tenures deriving from the Ottoman regime

(iii) Leased to Jews for long periods

(iv) Leased to Jews for terms of less than 3 years

(v) Leased to Arabs for long periods

(vi) Leased to Arabs for terms of less than 3 year's

(vii) Leased to others than Arabs or Jews [viii) Earmarked for communal or public

use

(ix) Uncultivable sand, marsh or rocks (x) Unoccupied, including "pa pee' claims (xi) Available for and offered on short

term lease

Title settled"

Title not yet settled**

dunums

dunums

219,695

619,858

105,340 75,273

76,351 99,815

2,389 793

43 429

17,591 2,656

44,931 593

4,713 167,429

84,699

20,082

615,961

926,719
_________________________
* i.e. registered in the name of the High Commissioner after land settlement of title.

** i.e. areas believed to be public land but which have not yet been registered after land settlement of title or have not yet come under land settlement:

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