Class+Notes+Nov.+16

1. 1928 - 1929 Western Wall Disturbances 2. Shaw Commission 1930 3. Hope Simpson Commission 4. McDonald Letter 1931
 * Slow boil of tensions between Arabs and Jews
 * The agreement between Jews and Arabs failed because of a disagreement on the terms that would be used for the Temple Mount and Western Wall
 * Demonstrations started with Palestinian violence towards Jews. The Jews responded with more violence. Britain was caught in the middle of all this.
 * British Inquiry into Western Wall disturbances
 * Finds that Palestinians felt powerless to Jewish immigration and land purchases
 * Recommends a limitation of Jewish immigration and land purchases
 * New labor government's commission on the Western Wall disturbances
 * 30% of Palestinians are landless because of land being purchased by the Jewish National Fund or other agencies
 * There is then a surplus of land available in Palestine, owned by Jews but not cultivated
 * Thus, immigration needs to be limited as the people already in Palestine can use the land that they own.
 * "Economic Absorptive Capacity" term coined by Churchill
 * Head of Britain's Zionist Organization, Chaim Weizmann, is very angry. He lobbies successfully to have the Prime Minister over-ride the Hope Simpson Commission, and once again permit immigration to Palestine. PM McDonald affirms Britain's intent to help create a "homeland in Palestine" (Balfour) and acknowledges to the Arabs that the rights of "non-Jewish community" will not be harmed.