867N.01/11–945

The British Ambassador (Halifax) to the Secretary of State

My Dear Secretary of State: With reference to my letter of today about Palestine, Mr. Bevin wishes me to let you know that in his proposed statement in the House of Commons on November 12th or November 13th, he will amend the passage in paragraph 3 [4] beginning with the words “The fact has to be faced” and substitute the following text which he believes you will judge to be an improvement:—

“The fact has to be faced that since the introduction of the Mandate it has been impossible to find common ground between the Arabs and the Jews. The differences in religion and in language, in cultural and social life, in ways of thought and conduct, are difficult to reconcile. This in the last twenty-five years has been the greatest bar to peace. On the other hand, both communities lay claim to Palestine, one on the ground of a millennium of occupation and the other on the ground of historical association coupled with the undertaking given in the First World War to establish a Jewish home. The task that has to be accomplished now is to find means to reconcile these divergencies.”

Mr. Bevin will also amend the third sentence of paragraph 6, as you suggested, to read “Further, the United States Government themselves have undertaken that no decision should be taken in respect of what, in their opinion, affects the basic situation in Palestine without full consultation with both Arabs and Jews”. He will furthermore omit altogether the sentence in paragraph 9 which reads “But if the investigation is to be thorough and effective it must inevitably take time”. He is thus meeting your wishes on both these points.

I enclose a copy of Mr. Bevin’s proposed statement in the House of Commons containing the above amendments.26

Believe me [etc.]

Halifax
  1. Not printed; it was otherwise identical with the proposed statement printed on p. 795.