The Position in Palestine

Extract

It is reassuring to Christians in Palestine—especially to Englishmen—to see that public opinion in England is being stirred up with regard to the affairs and fate of the Holy Land. It is high time. As you have already had opportunity to learn, we are getting to be in very bad odour ; or, as an English official here at Jerusalem said the other day, we are now thoroughly detested by everybody—French, Arabs, Christians, and Moslems. What love the Jew bears to us is scarcely disinterested.

Up to the present there has been little sign of enthusiasm called forth by the fact that England is mandatory power over a land that stands for so much as does Palestine. In fact the chief impression one receives is that this position is looked on at home rather as a burden than as an honour ; and certainly, if we maintain the position, and go on as we have begun, it promises to prove a very great burden indeed. However, the news we receive of the campaign against the Palestinian policy gives us hope that a change will take place.

At the same time it must be said that recent articles in the home papers on this question have caused great surprise and not a little anger here. There is certainly an attack to be made on Zionist aspirations and plans with regard to Palestine ; but it is not along the lines of these articles. Exaggeration, and what appears in some cases downright untruth, can serve no purpose except to defeat the very end in view. Indeed, one has been tempted to ask what is the end proposed by the writers of certain of these articles against the Jews ; in other words, on which side are they fighting? In the present case they appear to have put good ammunition into the hands of the Zionists.