The Political Status of Jerusalem in Historical Context: Zionist Plans for the Partition of Jerusalem in the Years 1937-1938

Political Status ofJerusalem 41 THE POLITICAL STATUS OF JERUSALEM IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT: ZIONIST PLANS FOR THE PARTITION OF JERUSALEM IN THE YEARS 1937-19381 by Yossi Katz Professor Yossi Katz is an historical geographer who specializes mainly in the settlemental, economic, social, and political aspects of the historical geography of the Land of Israel in modern times. He has published several books and many articles on this subject. Another field of specialization is worldwide Jewish settlement in the nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century. He is today the chairman of the Geography Department at Bar-Han University. Among the geographical results of the 1948 war between the Kingdom of Jordan and the new Jewish state was the division of Jerusalem. However, it seems that a plan for a political partition already existed ten years earlier and had been drawn up by none other than the Jewish Agency-the official establishment Zionist body in Palestine that represented the Jewish and Zionist interests to the British authorities. The Jewish Agency's plan for the partition of Jerusalem is part of its overall reaction to the British Royal Commission's plan for the partition of Palestine, which was proposed in 1937. In this paper I intend to examine the plan for the partition of Jerusalem and to understand the background which led to its composition, while answering the self-evident question: how was it that the Zionist 'This paper is part of a research project done by me about the]ewish Agency's response to the Royal Commission Partition Plan (1937) and the Agency's preparations to carry out the partition. 42 SHOFAR Spring 1993 Vol. 11, No.3 establishment was prepared to give up parts of the eternal capital of the Jewish people? We shall examine the Zionist claims regarding the possibility of putting the plan into effect, and the British reaction to the program; and we shall try to draw conclusions about the historic place of the plan in the annals of the Zionist attitude to Jerusalem. The Royal Commission and Its Recommendations Pertaining to Jerusalem The background of the writing of the Zionist proposal for the division of Jerusalem was in the recommendations of the Royal Commission that was sent to Palestine by the British government at the end of 1936. This Commission was sent largely because of the continuing deterioration of Arab-Jewish relations in the country. They had reached a new worst point in 1936, when the Arab population caused disturbances, engaged in sabotage, and finally rioted. The aims of the Commission were to determine the causes of the unrest in Palestine and to make concrete suggestions for a solution. At the end of June 1937 the Commission, headed by Lord Peel, submitted its conclusions to the government.2 The Royal Commission concluded that the Arab-Jewish conflict was a deep and bitter national struggle, and that the only solution was a political partition of Palestine that would give both Jews and Arabs sovereignty in their respective domains. The members of the Royal Commission felt that only thus would the violent and continuing Arab-Jewish confrontation come to an end, and that such a partition might allay the Arab fears of Jewish domination in the wake of immigration waves. The Royal Commission judged that it was not its function to suggest a detailed partition plan: this was to be done by a special committee of experts. The Commission dealt with determining principles of partition and recommended that the Jewish state include the coastal plain, the valleys, and the Galilee. The Arab state would include the Emirate on the other side of the Jordan River and the hill regions of Palestine-the Judean hills, Samaria, the south, and the Negev desert. Since it was impossible to separate completely all the Jews and their lands from all the Arabs and their lands, the Royal Commission proposed exchanges of population and lands. The Royal Commission proposed that Britain would continue to control the holy cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This British enclave would be linked to the 'Palestine Royal Commission Report, London, 1937; lbid. also a review of the factors which brought about the appointment of the Commission...