The British set up a commission after the Arab revolted in 1936. This was to examine and check the conflict between the Jews and the Arabs. To resolve the whole issue, a long-term solution was urgently needed. This was because the Jewish population had risen by 150% creating additional 62 settlements.
In such situations, King Abdallah and David Ben Gurion proposed suggestions that only focused on individual interests. They had the interests of their people and were not willing to negotiate for anything less than what their people wanted.
The Jews were willing to compromise for the commission to reach an agreement. This was not the situation for the Arabs and the Zionists. After the Peel commission finished examining the situation, they only came up with one logical solution. I believe the proposal made was the only reasonable idea at the moment was to split the nations into different states, with each state having the privilege to govern its own territory. This called for the abolition of the mandate, to be replaced with treaty system. The creation of two states (Jewish and Arab states) called for land and population transfer. This meant that any Jew in the Arab state would have to be immigrated to a Jewish state, after the passing of the report.
The Arabs immediately rejected this. They claimed that they had been promised their independence, and if any rights were granted to the Jewish population, it would be a betrayal. They insisted they were the ones to rule the whole country and not a portion of it1. I would negotiate for a deal to ensure they accepted the proposed deal. This is because the times had changed calling for further decisions and compromises to be made. The Jewish were growing in population and eventually they would revolt causing mayhem and chaos in the country. They were growing stronger and stronger day by day. They would soon claim for power sharing and granting the Arabs the Nation would be short-lived. A more amicable solution would be to advocate for joint institutions. However, much the two had differences in religion and culture, they had to come up with a way to resolve their differences. It was evident that if both did not compromise, the war would continue harming the greater population.
In suggesting for the partition, I would promise to carry out a thorough research to ensure that the resources in the country are somewhat evenly distributed. This would help in ensuring that the recommendations do not oppress either the Arabs or the Jews.
I would also ensure that the Arabs or the Jews were to be left in areas where they would be in the majority. A situation where the Arabs were moved from their own areas or Jews experiencing the same situation should not arise. It is common knowledge that with time mingling between these two different societies was inevitable. This would happen in institutions (learning and social institutions) and would lead to harmony in the society. This reasoning would help them in compromising in the situation presented. The future was as important as the present. I would suggest for more consultation to be done within the Arab ranks in a bid to find a way to settle with the situation. The Jewish had already compromised Jerusalem, and it was time for the Arabs to put something on the table as a way of ensuring that negotiations went further.
Works cited
Klieman, Aaron S. 1987. The Rise of Israel. Zionist evidence before the Peel Commission, 1936-1937. New York: Garland Pub.
