British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Supplement - Page 143

the political and economic life of the country. The following are the principal trade unions :-

(i) The Palestine .1rab Workers' Society.-This society was founded in Haifa in 1925. By August, 1945 it claimed 15,000 members, the bulk of whom were concentrated in Haifa and ,Jaffa. The Palestine Arab Workers' Society represents the right wing of Arab labour and has maintained contact with the traditional national parties and the Arab Higher Committee.

(ii) The Arab Trades Union Congress (commonly known as the Arab Workers' Society).-This society is considerably more "left" than the Palestine Arab Workers' Society. It was formed in 1942 under the title of the Arab Federation of Trade Unions and in 1945 received a large accretion of strength by the secession of branches of the Palestine Arab Workers' Society from Jaffa, Jerusalem and Gaza. It is affiliated to the World Federation of Trades Unions and is closely connected with the Arab League of National Liberation and consequently opposed to the present constitution of the Arab Higher Committee.

(iii) The Palestine Labour League.-The Palestine Labour League was founded in 192:5 by the Histadruth (the General Federation of Jewish Labour) in order to foster good relations and cooperation between Arab and Jewish labour. Eight branches are now in existence with a total of between 3 ,000 and 4,000 registered members, mostly non-Palestinian Arabs working in the catering trade and with the oil companies.

THE JEWISH POLITICAL PARTIES.

The present Zionist aims in Palestine were defined in a number of resolutions passed at the 22nd World Zionist Congress held at Basle in December, 1946. ,

These resolutions were accepted by delegates of the majority of Jewish political parties in Palestine.

The most important resolutions were as follows :-

(a) Reaffirmation of the following political demands repeatedly voiced by the organs of the Zionist Organisation :

(i) that Palestine be established as a Jewish Commonwealth integrated in the structure of the democratic world;

(ii) that the gates of Palestine be opened to Jewish immigration;

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