867N.01/3–146: Telegram
The Minister in Egypt (Tuck) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 1—3:28 p.m.]
401. Anglo-American Committee arrived last night without Aydelotte who is expected from London shortly. Hearings begin Mena Hosie [House] Saturday morning with Azzam Pasha9 speaking for Arab League supported by representatives of member states. Hamdi el-Pachachi10 and Iraqi colleagues are expected to testify in personal capacity Monday. Committee leaving for Palestine Tuesday night.
League’s statement given to Legation in advance asserts interest of all Arabs in Palestine, reviews formation of Arab League as manifestation of Arab unity which Palestine as Jewish state would frustrate. Opposition of League to Zionism is declared not based on racial prejudice but on its inconsistency with democratic principles, on its threat to security and tranquility of Jewish community in Arab states, and on failure of Zionism as solution of world Jewish problem. Opposition of Arab League to Jewish immigration and transfer of land is declared to be as determined and absolute as to Jewish state.
In conclusion League demands abolition of mandate and creation of Palestine as independent Arab state. It further declares that League by appearing before Committee, does not recognize right of Committee to decide Palestine issue or of US or Britain to handle problem exclusively.11
Full text of statement by pouch. Copies to London and Arab capitals.
- Abdul Rahman Azzam, Secretary-General of the Arab League.↩
- Iraqi Prime Minister.↩
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Despatch 1382, March 4, 1946, from Cairo (received in the Department on April 2), stated:
↩“The Chairmen were under the impression that Azzam Pasha would give testimony on behalf of the League and that representatives of the Arab states would appear on behalf of their governments. Azzam Pasha and the representatives of the member states designated by their governments to appear before the Committee had agreed, however, that Azzam Pasha should speak on behalf of the League and that the representatives of the member states would confirm the statement made by him. Thus when upon the invitation of the Chairman, Judge Hutcheson, representatives of the Arab states were called upon to speak, H.R.H. Prince Seif al-Islam Abdullah, as representative of Yemen, arose and read a brief statement in which he affirmed the League’s position and stated that Yemen as an Arab state considered Palestine a part of the Arab countries, that it objected to Jewish immigration into Palestine, to the establishment of a Jewish state and the making of Palestine into a Jewish national home.
“This statement, by agreement among the Arab states, was later introduced into the testimony as the view of all the states.” (867N.01/3–446)