Hair) of the Jews of Jerusalem, Jaffa, and so on. The non-Zionist Orthodoxy do not take part in any of these elections and they do not recognise any of these councils.
The period for which these councils have been elected has expired a long time since. New elections were not held despite which the Government continues to recognise these councils as the only representatives of the whole of Palestinian Jewry. It has been asserted by Zionist Propagandists that from 70% to 80% of the Palestinian Jews participated in the elections for the National Council (Vaad Haleumi). This is not true. The fact is that the elections took place about three years ago. Immediately after the San Remo Declaration, when it was still thought that Palestine would within a short period, become a Jewish State and the National Council (Vaad Haleumi) a Jewish Parliament. Many people who were then attracted by this fancy repented later on at having taken part in the elections. If new elections were held now, the number of electors would be much reduced. Besides a greater part of the Zionist Orthodoxy organised their own elections, and their deputies, although they sometimes cooperated with the Zionist Council of Deputies (Ashifat Hanivcharim), are not at all in sympathy with the anti-religious movement in Palestine. As already mentioned above, the Agudat Israël never participated in these elections. It may be ascertained from the following fact how insignificant is the authority of the National Council (Vaad Haleumi).
The National Council (Vaad Haleumi) has asked every Jew in Palestine to pay only one shilling for its administrative expenses, but even its own electors refused to pay this shilling, and the National Council (Vaad Haleumi) is supported only by Zionist institutions and a small number of Zionist propagandists.
III
I am anxious to avoid personal remarks, but I feel obliged to draw attention to the following facts. In Palestine, a country with a non-parliamentary system, the legislative power is vested in the hands of High Commissioner, Sir Herbert Samuel, and his principal advisor in all legislative matters, is the Attorney General Mr. Norman Bentwich. Now it happens that Mrs. N. Bentwich is a niece of Lady Samuel, one of the Zionist leaders in Palestine is Mr. David Yellin. One of his sons is married to one of Mr. Norman Bent-wich’s sisters. What do we now see? The Government appointed three Jewish members in the Municipality of Jerusalem: one of these two is Mr. David Yellin. The Zionists are under the impression that Mr. Yellin has
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