De zoon van een gazzen

Organisation. They consider Sir Herbert’s Jewish policy absolutely con-trary to the Palestine Mandate, especially as concerns Articles 2, 9 and 15, which guarantee absolute religious freedom to all Palestinians.

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The Zionist National Council (Vaad Haleumi) and the Zionist Local Councils (Vaadei Hair) have always tried to get from the Government the right of levying taxes on all Jews, whether they be Zionists or non-Zionists. The non-Zionist Orthodoxy have strongly protested against this compul-sion and they have pointed out that the right of levying compulsory taxes belongs only to the State, the Municipality and other Public Bodies. Such a right cannot be given to private organisations as the Zionist Organisation. The right of levying compulsory taxes is also contrary to Mr. Churchill’s statement made in last summer, in which he clearly said that the British Government did not intend to give to the Zionist Organisation in Palestine the sovereign rights of a State. The right of levying compulsory taxes is also a most dangerous privilege because if the Government gives it to the Zionist National Council (Vaad Haleumi) and the Zionist Local Councils (Vaadei Hair) it cannot be refused to the anti-Zionist Arabic Organisations and councils which represent the Arabic people in Palestine at least in the same degree as the Zionist National Council represents the Jews. This would cause a sharp and bitter struggle of nationalities which is surely not in the interests of the peaceful development of Palestine.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies has till now refused to give to the National Council (Vaad Haleumi) and local councils (Vaadei Hair) the right of levying compulsory taxation on all the Jews. The non-Zionist Orthodoxy hopes that the Government will adhere to this point.

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Since the Zionists did not get this right from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Palestine Government is endeavouring to give them this right of levying compulsory indirect taxes on all Jews. Sir Herbert Samuel has issued an Ordinance under date of December i4th 1921, in which he obliges every Jewish baker of unleavened bread to pay a tax of 2 piastres (five pence) per roti (3 kilos) of unleavened bread to the Zionist Local Council (Vaadei Hair) in any place where there exist Jewish communities. The non-Zionist Committee of the Ashkenazim Jews of Jerusalem has continually protested against this ordinance. They think it grossly unjust to levy such a heavy tax on religious objects by an organisation which is

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