State Domain and Re-Settlement of Jewish Ex-Servicemen in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 259. Chapter VIII: Land: Chapter VIII: Land: Section 6

CHAPTER VIII.

Section 6.

STATE DOMAIN FOR THE RE-SETTLEMENT OF JEWISH EX-SERVICEMEN.

85. In May, 1944, the Jewish Agency put forward a request to Government that State Domain should be made available for the establishment of new agricultural settlements for demobilised soldiers. This request was considered by the High Commissioner, Sir Harold MacMichael, who decided that no Government support should be afforded to any scheme for the agricultural settlement of demobilised Jewish soldiers on land in zones A and B of the Land Transfers Regulations. 1940, (see section 7 of this chapter), unless such land was already in .Jewish possession or was so situated that its transfer to Jewish possession would not infringe the principles of those regulations. It was agreed, however, that, if the Jewish Agency could show that any State Domain elsewhere could be need effectively for tile settlement of Jewish demobilised soldiers, it should, if possible, be made available for that purpose. It was also decided that, as regards housing schemes, Government should do all in its power to make State Domain in the "free" zone of the Land Transfers Regulations available for any such schemes as were recommended by the reconstruction Commissioner. Furthermore, it was decided that. should it be that State Domain exceptionally suitable for housing schemes was not situated in the "free" zone, for example near Tel Aviv, Government would be justified in allotting such State Domain for a housing scheme even though situated in zone A.

86. These decisions were conveyed to the Jewish Agency in October, 1944, and at the same time a complete list of land in the "free" zone to which Government had a registered title was sent. to them. A copy of this list was returned to Government by the Agency in November, 1944 after the Agency had marked thereon the properties which they considered might be suitable for the settlement of ex-soldiers. The total area of these properties amounted to some 42,500 dunums. A committee was thereupon appointed and charged with the detailed inspection of these properties and the duty of reporting as to their availability and suitability for the purpose in mind. A representative of the Director of Land Settlement was chairman of this committee and the members were representatives of the Departments of Agriculture and Forests and of the District Commissioner of the District in which the various parcels of land were situated. In the course of inspection of the lands the committee was accompanied by four representatives of the Jewish Agency's staff who pointed out the bound-

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