1. Sunto ufficiale della Relazione della Commissione dell'O.N.U. per la Palestina
Reviewed work(s):
Source: Oriente Moderno, Anno 27, Nr. 7/9 (Luglio-Settembre 1947), pp. 166-168
Published by: Istituto per l'Oriente C. A. Nallino
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25811592 .
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2. ? ?
i66
II memoriale si chiude illustrando la legit tution or conditions of any Palestinian State
timita di questo passo della C.N.E.W.A., sic which may be devised.
come ?associazione interna^ionale, ufficialmente 6. The General shall undertake
Assembly
incaricata della popolazione cattolica della immediately the initiation and execution of an
Palestina ? e secondo le richieste del international the problems
quindi, arrangement whereby
FONU in proposito, ? di una por of distressed of whom
rappresentante European Jews, approx
zione considere vole della popolazione pales ti imately 250,000 are in assembly centres, be
nese ?. dealt with as a matter of extreme for
urgency
alleviation of their plight and of the Palestinian
problem.
Santoufficiale Relazione Com
della della 7. It shall be a condition to the
prior
missione
delPO.N.U. la Palestina. granting
per of independence that the political
structure of the new State or States shall be
La Relazione della Commissione di undici ?
basically democratic i.e., representative in
membri nominata dal Consiglio di Sicurezza character. The constitution shall contain*safe
delVO.N. U. fu firmata dai commissari a Ginevra to protect
guards the rights and interests of
il 31 agosto 1947 e trasmessa al Segretario Gene minorities.
rale delVAssemblea delVO.N. U. LAssemblea riu 8. A of independence shall
prior question
nita a Lake Success il 16 settembre ha nominato also be the interpolation into the constitution
un comitato per Vesame della Relazione. of the basic principles of the Charter of the
Ecco il sunto ufficiale della Relazione del United Nations.
31 agosto 1947. 9. It shall be as a cardinal
accepted
principle that the preservation of the economic
RECOMMENDATIONS
unity of Palestine is indispensable to the life
Apart from specific plans, such as the consti and development of the country and its people.
tution of the future Government and territorial 10. A State whose nationals have in the
matters on which a majority and past enjoyed in Palestine the and
provisions, privileges
a minority proposal are submitted, the Com immunities of consular
foreigners, including
mittee forwards to the General Assembly the jurisdiction by capitulation, shall be invited
11 unanimous recommendations:? by the United Nations to renounce any
following rights
1. The mandate to terminate at the to them in the re-establishment of
pertaining
earliest possible date. such privileges and immunities in an independent
2. The independence of Palestine to be Palestine.
achieved at the earliest possible date. 11. The General shall call on
Assembly
3. The transition period to be as short as the peoples of Palestine to exert every effort to
possible consistent with the conditions essential bring to an early end the acts of violence
to independence. which have far too beset the
long country.
4. During the transition period the autho The Committee agree two dissenting^
with
rity entrusted with the administering of Palestine voices to a twelfth recommendation as follows:
and preparing it for indipendence shall be In the appraisal of the Palestine it
question
responsible to the United Nations. should be accepted as incontrovertible that any
5. With regard to religious interests and solution for Palestine cannot be considered as
the holy places: (a) In whatever solution may a solution of the in general.
Jewish problem
be adopted the sacred character of the holy
places shall be preserved and access to the holy
THE MAJORITY PLAN
places shall be, ensured in accordance with
existing rights, (b) The present rights of the According to the plan of the majority (the
several religious communities shall not be representatives of Canada, Czechoslovakia, Gua
or denied,
impaired (c) An adequate system temala, Netherlands, Peru, Sweden, and Uru
for impartial settlement of religious disputes guay) Palestine shall be constituted into an
shall be devised. Special stipulations regard Arab State and a Jewish State and the city
ing these matters shall be inserted in the consti of Jerusalem.

3. ? ?
i6y
The Arab and States shall become State shall be If only one State
Jewish recognised.
after a transitional of two fulfils these conditions the General Assembly of
independent period
on i, Before, the United Nations shall take such action as
years beginning Sept. 1947.
however, their can be it may deem proper. Pending such action the
independence recognized
they must adopt a constitution, make to the regime of economic union shall apply.
United Nations a declaration certain The declaration shall contain provisions for
containing
guarantees, and sign a treaty by which a system the protection of the holy places and religious
of economic collaboration is established and and sites and the religious and minority
buildings
the economic union of Palestine is created. There shall be no discrimination on
rights.
A summary of its essential features follows:? of race, or
grounds religion, language.
A. During the transition period the United A treaty shall be entered into between
shall carry on the administration of the two States which shall contain certain pro
Kingdom
Palestine under the auspices of the United visions to establish the economic unity of
Nations. If so desired, the administration will Palestine and for other matters of
provide
be carried on with the assistance of one or common interest. The objectives of the economic
more of the United Nations. The United union of Palestine shall be a Customs union,
shall the transition take common currency, in the common
Kingdom during period operation
such preparatory steps as may be necessary interest of railways, inter-State highways,
for the execution of the scheme recommended postal, telephone, and telegraph services, and
and shall carry out the measures:? the ports of Haifa and Jaffa.
following
(i) Admit into the proposed Jewish State It shall also promote joint economic deve
150,000 at a uniform monthly lopment, especially in respect of irrigation, land
Jewish immigrants
rate, 30,000 of them on humanitarian registration, and soil conservation. A joint
grounds.
Should the transitional continue for more economic board shall be established to consist
period
than two shall be of three representatives each of the two States
years Jewish immigration
allowed at the rate of 60,000 a year. The Jewish and three foreign members appointed by the
shall be for the selection and Economic and Social Council of the United
Agency responsible
care of the and for the Nations. The functions of the joint economic
Jewish immigrants
organising of Jewish immigration during the board shall be to organise and administer the
transitional objectives of the economic union.
period.
The restrictions introduced under The city of Jerusalem shall be placed after
(ii)
the of the Palestine (Amendment) the transitional period under the international
authority
Order in Council of May 25, 1939, will not trusteeship system by means of a trusteeship
to the transfer of land within the borders agreement which shall designate the Union
apply
of the proposed State. Nations as the administrative authority. The city
B. Constitutional Assemblies shall be of Jerusalem shall include within its borders
elected by the populations of the areas which the present municipality of Jerusalem, plus the
are to the Arab and Jewish States surrounding villages and towns, the most eastern
comprise
of which is Abu Dis, the most southern
respectively.
C. The Constituent Assemblies shall draw Bethlehem, the most Western Ein Karim,
up the Constitutions of the States. The Consti and the most northern Shu'fat. The city of
tution shall provide for the establishment in Jerusalem shall be demilitarised.
each State of a body elected by The governor of the city of Jerusalem shall
legislative
universal and by secret ballot on the be appointed by the Trusteeship Council of the
suffrage
basis of and an United Nations. He will be neither Arab nor
proportional representation
executive to the Legislature. nor a citizen of the Palestine State, nor
body responsible Jew,
D. The Constitutional in each at the time of his a resident
Assembly appointment
State shall a government in the city of Jerusalem.
appoint provisional
empowered to make declarations and sign the The protection of the holy places, religious
treaty of economic union. On making a declara buildings and sites in the city of Jerusalem
tion and the treaty of economic union shall be entrusted to a special police force, the
signing
by either State, its independence as a sovereign members of which shall be recruited outside

4. ? ?
168
Palestine and shall be neither Arab nor Jewish. The Arab and Jewish States shall enjoy
The city of Jerusalem shall be included in the full powers of local selfgovernment.
economic union of Palestine. The Constitution shall forbid any discrimi
The proposed Arab State will include western natory Federal or State legislation against
Galilee, the hill country of Samaria and Judea, population groups or either of the
against
with the exclusion of the city of Jerusalem, States and shall guarantee equal rights for all
and the coastal plain from Isdud to the Egytian minorities.
frontier. There shall be a single Palestine nationality
The proposed Jewish State will include and citizenship.
eastern Galilee, the Esdraelon plain, most of In addition to the guarantees contained in
the coastal plain, and the whole of the Beersheba the Constitution the of
regarding protection
subdistrict, which includes the Negeb. holy places there shall be set up a permanent
international body for the supervision and
THE MINORITY PLAN protection of the holy places, to be composed
of three representatives designated by the United
Three members (the representatives of India, Nations and one representative each of the
Iran, and Yugoslavia) proposed an independent faiths having an interest in the matter
recognized
Federal State. The major provisions of that as may be determined by the United Nations.
plan are briefly summarised as follows:? For a period of three years from the beginn
Constitution and transitional period. An ing of the transitional period Jewish immigration
independent Federal State of Palestine shall shall be
permitted into the Jewish State in
be created following a transitional period not such numbers as not to exceed the absorptive
exceeding three years, during which responsi capacity and having due regard for the rights
bility for administering Palestine and preparing of the existing population within that State and
it for independence shall be entrusted to an their anticipated natural rate of increase. An
authority to be decided by the General Assembly. international commission composed of three
The independent Federal State shall comprise Arabs, three Jews, and three United Nations
an Arab State and a Jewish State. Jerusalem shall be to estimate
representatives appointed
shall be its capital. the absorptive capacity of the Jewish State.
the transitional period a Constituent The commission shall cease to exist at the
During
Assembly shall be elected by popular vote and end of the three-year period mentioned above.
convened by the administering authority. It The Arab area of the proposed Federal
shall draw up the Constitution of the Federal State includes most of the interior of the country,
State. except for eastern Galilee and a large area of
Independence shall be declared by the Ge the Beersheba sub-district which falls within
neral Assembly once a Constitution has been the boundaries of the Jewish area.
adopted by the Constitutional Assembly. The Arabs are allotted the coastal plain
The Federal State shall comprise a Federal from south to the Egyptian frontier and
Jaffa
Government and Governments of Arab and the western portion of the Beersheba sub
Jewish States respectively. district, including Beersheba town, Asluj and
Full authority shall be invested in the Auja, and a strip along the whole length of
Federal Government with regard to national the Egyptian frontier to the Gulf of Aqaba.
defence, foreign relations, immigration, currency, When the two schemes, the majority and
taxation for Federal purposes, foreign and inter were voted on, one member of the
minority,
State waterways, transport and communications, committee, the representative of Australia,
and patents. abstained in bofh cases.
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