British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 304

CHAPTER VIII.

had been encroached upon by Jews and which could probably only be recovered by the use of force. The State Domain in Beisan is in zone A, but the Committee considered that, in view of the special considerations in this case, there was justification for a departure from the principles laid down by Government that the spirit of the Land Transfers Regulations should be applied to State Domain. In making their recommendation the Committee attached particular importance to the consideration that Government would acquire an equivalent area of land also in the restricted zones owned by persons other than Palestinian Arabs and would use this area for the benefit of Palestinian Arabs.

169. In October, 1944, this recommendation was accepted by Government after consideration in Executive Council and the Director of Land Settlement was authorised to negotiate the exchange proposed. But the Jewish National Fund declined to negotiate an exchange which included land upon which Jewish settlers had trespassed and were in occupation.

170. In December, 1944, the Jewish National Fund put forward counter proposals. These fell into three parts :-

(a) The lands to be given up by the Jewish National Fund at Ma'Iul. The Fund proposed to make available for the Ma'lul Arabs 1,700 dunums in the plain (zone B) and also 1,700 dunums in the hills (zone A). The District Commissioner considered that these areas, together with those of which they were in lawful occupation, would be sufficient for the _subsistence of the Arabs of Ma'lul and that it was unreasonable to expect the Jewish National Fund to give up the whole of the 3,000 dunums in the plain which had been leased by them in 1921 and of which the Arabs had ever since been in occupation.

(b) Land in Beisan to be acquired by the Fund in exchange for 1,700 dunums of plain land at Ma'Iul. The Jewish National Fund asks that an area of 3,775 dunums in the undermentioned villages of Beisan sub-district should be transferred to them :-

Masil el Jisl - 1,690 dunums estimated by the Fund to be equivalent in value to 563 dunums at Ma'lul.

Ghazawiya

- 760 dunums estimated as equivalent to 380 dunums at Ma'lul.

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