TALKING POINTS

TALK: The British pro" mised the Arabs independence In Palestine In the Hussein-McMahon correspondence over nearly 100 years ago."

POINT. The central figure in the Arab nationalist movement at the time of World War I was Hussein ibn 'AU, who was appointed by the Turkish Committee of Union and Progress to the position of Sherif [governor j of Mecca in 1908.

As Sherif, Hussein was responsible for the custody of Islam's shrines in the Hejaz and, consequently, was recognized as one of the Muslims' spiritual leaders.

In July 1915, Hussein sent a letter to Sir Henry McMahon, the High Commissioner for Egypt, informing him of the terms for Arab participation in the war against the Turks.

The letters between Hussein and McMahon that followed during 1915-16 outlined the areas that Britain was prepared to cede to the Arabs. But the Hussein-McMahon correspondence conspicuously fails to mention Palestine.

The British argued that the omission had been intentional, thereby justifying their refusal to grant the Arabs independence in Palestine after the war (George Kirk, A Short History of the Middle East. NY: Frederick Praeger Publishers, 1964, p. 314).

Explained MacMahon:

"I feel it my duty to state, and I do so definitely and emphatically, that it was not intended by me in giving this pledge to King Hussein to include Palestine in the area in which Arab independence was promised. I also had every reason to believe at the time that the fact that Palestine was not included in my pledge was well understood by King Hussein (London Times, July 23, 1937).

Nevertheless, the Arabs held then, as now, that the letters constituted a promise of independence for the Arabs.

By permission from Myths and Facts - A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict, by Mitchell G. Bard.