British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 946

CHAPTER XXIII.

4. The first phase of Arab political activity in Palestine, from 1919-1934, was marked by a series of congresses. Immediately after the British occupation an association called the Moslem Christian Association was formed in Palestine with branches throughout the country. This Association was inspired largely by the larger movement towards Arab unity and independence which culminated in the entry into Damascus of the Amir Feisal (later King Feisal I of Iraq\. Representatives from Palestine attended the General Syrian Congress held at Damascus on the 8th June, 1919, at which Jewish immigration and the Balfour Declaration were discussed.

5. A second Palestine Arab congress was held at Damascus on the 27th February, 1920; a third Palestine Arab congress was held at Haifa on the 14th December, 1920, at which an executive committee was formed under the presidency of the late Musa Kazem Pasha el Husseini in order to deal with the questions raised by the congress after its dispersion.

6. A fourth Palestine Arab congress was held at Jerusalem on the 25th June, 1921. This congress elected a delegation of eight persons to proceed to London, where it exchanged correspondence with the Secretary of State for the Colonies which was published in Command Paper No. 1700 presented to Parliament in June, 1922. The statement of policy by His Majesty's Government in 1922 was made after negotiations between the delegation and the Secretary of State. On the return of the delegation, the fifth Palestine Arab congress was held at Nablus on the 22nd August, 1922.

7. A second Arab delegation was elected in 1922 by the fourth Arab congress and visited Egypt, Turkey, Lausanne and London. A third delegation visited London again, in 1922, during negotiations for a treaty with the late King Hussein. A sixth Palestine Arab congress was held at Jaffa on the 16th June, 1923.

8. A seventh Palestine Arab congress was held at Jerusalem on the 20th June, 1928, when a new executive of forty-eight persons was elected. The executive in turn elected an administrative staff consisting of a president, three secretaries and two members. This Arab executive committee elected the members of the fourth Arab delegation which proceeded to London on the 21st March, 1930, to present the Arab case immediately after the publication of the report" of the Commission of Enquiry into the 1929 disturbances beaded by Sir Walter Shaw.
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