In 1929, following the Arab riots, Lord Passfield (Sidney Webb) issued a formal statement of British policy in Palestine called the Passfield White Paper. The Passfield White Paper’s tone was highly Anti-Zionist, restricting the immigration of Jews and the sale of land to Jews. Zionist leaders did not receive the Passfield White Paper kindly and endless letters of outrage bombarded the British government. Zionist organizations organized campaigns against the anti-Zionist implications of the Passfield White Papers. To combat the campaign and clarify his government’s position, British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald wrote a letter, which came to be known as the MacDonald Letter.
The MacDonald Letter intended to clear up any confusion Zionists …show more content…
Jews criticized the White Papers, claiming it contained harmful accusations against Jews and Jewish labor organizations. The MacDonald Letter states that the British government denied any support for those “injurious allegations” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). Moreover, the MacDonald Letter recognizes the beneficial contributions the Jewish population of Palestine has made. These contributions include helping develop Palestine as a whole and maintaining Palestine’s state of well-being. The MacDonald Letter emphasizes that the policy of the British government does not prohibit Jews in acquiring additional land. Instead, the policy focuses on providing for such “temporary control of land disposition and transfers as it may be necessary not to impair the harmony and effectiveness of the scheme of land settlement to be undertaken” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). The MacDonald Letter goes on to address the issue of Jewish immigration. The MacDonald Letter admits that the Hope-Simpson Report overestimated the impact Jewish immigration would have on the Arab population (“British White Papers,” 2015). MacDonald states in his letter that the British government did not advise and did not support or “contemplate any stoppage or prohibition of Jewish immigration in any of its categories” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). MacDonald announced that Jewish immigration to Palestine would continue. MacDonald …show more content…
The British government wanted to ensure equality for all racial groups living in Palestine. The letter implemented “equal justice to all sections of the population of Palestine” and aimed to “safeguard the civil and religious rights of all inhabitants of Palestine irrespective of race and religion” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). The words “irrespective of race and religion” are intended to ensure that the letter does not discriminate against the inhabitants of Palestine based on religion or race. The MacDonald Letter clarifies that this “protective provision” applies equally to both Jews and Arabs and that there should be equality should between the two
The MacDonald Letter intended to clear up any confusion Zionists …show more content…
Jews criticized the White Papers, claiming it contained harmful accusations against Jews and Jewish labor organizations. The MacDonald Letter states that the British government denied any support for those “injurious allegations” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). Moreover, the MacDonald Letter recognizes the beneficial contributions the Jewish population of Palestine has made. These contributions include helping develop Palestine as a whole and maintaining Palestine’s state of well-being. The MacDonald Letter emphasizes that the policy of the British government does not prohibit Jews in acquiring additional land. Instead, the policy focuses on providing for such “temporary control of land disposition and transfers as it may be necessary not to impair the harmony and effectiveness of the scheme of land settlement to be undertaken” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). The MacDonald Letter goes on to address the issue of Jewish immigration. The MacDonald Letter admits that the Hope-Simpson Report overestimated the impact Jewish immigration would have on the Arab population (“British White Papers,” 2015). MacDonald states in his letter that the British government did not advise and did not support or “contemplate any stoppage or prohibition of Jewish immigration in any of its categories” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). MacDonald announced that Jewish immigration to Palestine would continue. MacDonald …show more content…
The British government wanted to ensure equality for all racial groups living in Palestine. The letter implemented “equal justice to all sections of the population of Palestine” and aimed to “safeguard the civil and religious rights of all inhabitants of Palestine irrespective of race and religion” (Laquer & Rubin, 2001). The words “irrespective of race and religion” are intended to ensure that the letter does not discriminate against the inhabitants of Palestine based on religion or race. The MacDonald Letter clarifies that this “protective provision” applies equally to both Jews and Arabs and that there should be equality should between the two