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68-477: In response to Jewish immigrants settling before the war, the first Palestine Arab Congress met from 27 January to 10 February 1919, with 27 delegates from Muslim-Christian societies across Palestine. It was presided over by Aref al-Dajani , president of the Jerusalem Muslim-Christian Society. Also present were Izzat Darwaza and Yousef El-Issa , editor of Falastin . Most delegates were from

136-582: A banker. They had three sons and one daughter. His son, Edwin , served in the Jewish Legion . Samuel was great-uncle to the scientist Rosalind Franklin , the co-discoverer of DNA. In his later years, he remained concerned over the future of humanity and of science, writing three books: Essays in Physics (1951), In Search of Reality (1957) and a collaborative work, A Threefold Cord: Philosophy, Science, Religion (1961). The three works tended to conflict with

204-579: A breakaway group of MPs to form the Liberal National Party . The Liberal leader, Lloyd George, led a small group of Independent Liberals , opposing the National Government. That left Samuel effectively as leader of the parliamentary party and in control of party headquarters. The government's moves to introduce tariffs caused further friction for the Liberals, and Samuel withdrew the party from

272-482: A choice between conscription into the British Army or returning to Russia for military service. In December 1916, Asquith was replaced as prime minister by Lloyd George . Lloyd George asked Samuel to continue as Home Secretary, but Samuel chose to resign instead. He attempted to strike a balance between giving support to the new government while remaining loyal to Asquith. At the end of the war he sought election at

340-679: A member of the Jewish community, however, to please his wife, and observed the Sabbath and Jewish food laws at home "for hygienic reasons". Samuel unsuccessfully fought two general elections before being elected a Member of Parliament at the November 1902 Cleveland by-election , as a member of the Liberal Party . He was appointed to the Cabinet in 1909 by Prime Minister H. H. Asquith , first as Chancellor of

408-575: A memorandum, The Future of Palestine , to his cabinet colleagues, suggesting that Britain should conquer Palestine in order to protect the Suez Canal against foreign powers, and for Palestine to become a home for the Jewish people . The memorandum stated, "I am assured that the solution of the problem of Palestine which would be much the most welcome to the leaders and supporters of the Zionist movement throughout

476-590: A mystic and impetuous, he might easily be swept away at some moment of crisis. He declined a later offer by Chamberlain to return to government. In 1938, he supported the Kindertransport movement for refugee children from Europe with an appeal for homes for them. Samuel later became the leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords (1944–1955). During the 1951 general election , on 15 October 1951, Samuel became

544-524: A permanent successor, and no further Congresses were held. Its role was surpassed by a number of Palestinian Arab political parties representing the interests of particular families and individuals, or identifying with specific locations: the Istiqlal (1932), National Defence Party (1934), Arab Reform Party (1935), National Bloc Party (1935) and the Palestine Arab Party (1935). In 1932 a small group

612-404: A post he held until his death in 1934. It resolved as follows: Some delegates, such as Issa El-Issa , complained that the congress was not sufficiently radical. After the congress the executive committee met British High Commissioner Herbert Samuel , who insisted that they accept British policy on the Jewish national homeland to receive official recognition. The British position that the congress

680-519: A sale which rescued the patriarchate of Jerusalem from bankruptcy. A secondary issue was the patriarch's support for a British-proposed legislative assembly. The Congress passed a resolution demanding that the patriarch should not speak on behalf of the community without the approval of a mixed council composed of two-thirds lay members and one-third clergy. Other resolutions called for the election of bishops by local councils, knowledge of Arabic by patriarchal representatives, control of church endowments by

748-586: A separate motion on 23 October 1918 to allow women to be eligible as Members of Parliament. The vote was passed by 274 to 25, and the government rushed through a bill to make it law in time for the 1918 election. One month after Britain's declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire in November 1914, Samuel met Chaim Weizmann , who was to become the President of the World Zionist Organization and later

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816-629: A statement was issued calling for the return of all political deportees, and to protest against the San Remo Conference decision to include the words of the Balfour Declaration in the text of the British mandate over Palestine. It is unclear if this is the same event, as names given by Pappé are given by other sources as being in Damascus, not Palestine. The third congress opened on 4 December. It

884-692: A thorn in the side of the British administration in Palestine. At the same time, he enjoyed the respect of the Jewish community, and he was honoured by being called to the Torah at the Hurva synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem . During Samuel's administration the Churchill White Paper was published. It supported Jewish immigration within the economic absorptive capacity of the country to accommodate them and defined

952-517: Is impossible for us to make an understanding with them [the Jews] or even to live them together… Their history and all their past proves that it is impossible to live with them. In all the countries where they are at present they are not wanted and undesirables, because they always arrive to suck the blood of everybody, and to become economically and financially victorious. If the League of Nations will not listen to

1020-595: The 1935 general election , during which period the party's number of seats in parliament fell from 59 to 21. Herbert Samuel was born at Claremont No. 11 Belvidere Road, Toxteth , Liverpool , Lancashire , in 1870. The building now houses part of the Belvedere Academy . Around 1775, his great-grandfather, Menachem Samuel, had emigrated from Kempen in Posen (now Kępno ), not far from the city of Posen (now Poznań ), to Britain and his grandfather, Louis Samuel (1794-1859),

1088-715: The Dome of the Rock , with "Palestine for the Arabs" in English and Arabic. Held from 16 to 20 June 1923, the congress was chaired by Musa Kazim. It was agreed to send another delegation to London, eschewing the more-radical policies which were advocated. A proposed campaign of non-payment of taxes, arguing no taxation without representation, was debated without a decision. Twenty-four resolutions were passed, including boycotts of Pinhas Rutenberg's Palestine Electricity Corporation and Jewish goods. In October,

1156-569: The Ottoman Empire ) during the course of the First World War. Samuel lost his seat in the election of 1918 and became a candidate to represent British interests in the territory. He was appointed to the position of High Commissioner in 1920, before the Council of the League of Nations approved a British mandate for Palestine. Nonetheless, the military government withdrew to Cairo in preparation for

1224-544: The Ottoman Empire ) was signed violated both military law and the Hague Convention . Bols said the news was received with "consternation, despondency and exasperation" by the Muslims and Christians. Allenby said that the Arabs would see it "as handing country over at once to a permanent Zionist Administration" and predicted massive violence. Lord Curzon read the last message to Samuel and asked him to reconsider accepting

1292-737: The Peace Conference in Paris. Failing to elect an executive committee, the congress agreed to meet in three months The authorities had banned all Arab political gatherings and prevented the congress convening on 15 May 1920 after the San Remo conference . Some of the would-be delegates sent a letter to the Syrian National Congress , stating their position and asking that they form a Palestinian delegation from Palestinian representatives present in Damascus that would travel directly to Europe to defend

1360-540: The general election of 1918 as a Liberal in support of the Coalition government. However, the government's endorsement was given to his Unionist opponent, and he was defeated. Initially he had not been a supporter of women's suffrage but then changed his position. In 1917, a Speaker's Conference was charged with looking into giving women the vote but did not have, in its terms of reference, consideration to women standing as candidates for Parliament . However, Samuel moved

1428-649: The Arab community and improvements in Orthodox education and welfare. A second Arab Orthodox conference was held in Jaffa on 28 October 1931. A Women's Congress, the First Arab Women's Congress or First Palestine Arab Women's Congress, attended by 200 women, was convened in 1929. Organisers ( Arab Women's Executive Committee ) included Wahida al-Khalidi (wife of Hussein al-Khalidi ) and Amina al-Husayni (wife of Jamal al-Husayni ). It

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1496-651: The Arab population... and thereby put an end to racial tension". Three months after his arrival, The Morning Post commented: "Sir Herbert Samuel's appointment as High Commissioner was regarded by everyone, except Jews, as a serious mistake." As High Commissioner, Samuel attempted to mediate between Zionist and Arab interests, acting to slow Jewish immigration and win the confidence of the Arab population. He hoped to gain Arab participation in mandate affairs and to guard their civil and economic rights, but refused them any authority that could be used to stop Jewish immigration and land purchase. According to Wasserstein his policy

1564-516: The Bedouin. Samuel's role in Palestine is still debated. According to Wasserstein: He is remembered kindly neither by the majority of Zionist historians, who tend to regard him as one of the originators of the process whereby the Balfour Declaration in favour of Zionism was gradually diluted and ultimately betrayed by Great Britain, nor by Arab nationalists who regard him as a personification of

1632-624: The Duchy of Lancaster and then as Postmaster General , President of the Local Government Board and eventually Home Secretary . He put forward the idea of establishing a British protectorate over Palestine in 1915, and his ideas influenced the Balfour Declaration . As Home Secretary, Samuel faced a shortage of manpower needed to fight in World War I , and he initiated legislation to offer thousands of Russian refugees (many of them young Jews)

1700-667: The Jerusalem Congress, al-Dajani rejected political Zionism and agreed to accept British assistance on condition that it did not impinge on Arab sovereignty in Palestine. He envisaged Palestine as part of an independent Syrian state governed by Faisal of the Hashemite family. In a speech to the King-Crane Commission in 1919, as a leader of the delegation for the Muslim-Christian Association , he stated, “It

1768-432: The Jewish national homeland as: not the imposition of a Jewish nationality upon the inhabitants of Palestine as a whole, but the further development of the existing Jewish community, with the assistance of Jews in other parts of the world, in order that it may become a centre in which the Jewish people as a whole may take, on grounds of religion and race, an interest and a pride. Samuel won the confidence of all sections of

1836-539: The Palestinian anti-Zionist movement. As the congress was ending, a group of about 50 delegates (primarily from Palestine and Syria) met at Awni Abdul Hadi 's house and issued an Arab National Charter. This group (and the charter) evolved into the Istiqal Party. After the death of Musa Kazim on 27 March 1934, Christian executive vice-president Yaqoub Farraj became acting president. No agreement could be reached for

1904-501: The Palestinian case. Shemesh says that there are a number of versions as to its timing and actual occurrence but quotes the memoirs of Izzat Darwaza with a version similar to the preceding. According to the Survey of Palestine, the delegates met earlier in Damascus on 27 February 1920. Allawai, Faisal's biographer, confirms this date and that while the delegates were assembling in Damascus for

1972-649: The Secretary of State for the Colonies, Winston Churchill . On their way, they met Pope Benedict XV in Vatican City and attempted to meet with delegates to the League of Nations in Geneva. Responding to the congress, High Commissioner Herbert Samuel promised that the British would "never impose a policy contrary to their religions, their political and their economic interests". The fifth congress opened on 22 August 1922, after

2040-598: The Society were Haj Amin al-Husseini , Izzat Darwaza and ‘Aref al-‘Aref . The Society protested against the San Remo Conference's decision to grant Britain a mandate over Palestine and against Samuel's appointment. It also appealed to the Muslims of India and to the Pope, drawing attention to the Jewish danger in Palestine. Ilan Pappé says that the second congress was held in secret in Palestine on 31 May 1920, because British military authorities had banned all Arab political gatherings and

2108-552: The Spielmann dynasty of bankers and art-connoisseurs. He was educated at University College School in Hampstead , London and Balliol College, Oxford , but at home he had a Jewish upbringing. However, in 1892, while at Oxford he renounced all religious belief, writing to his mother to inform her. Samuel worked through the influence of Charles Darwin and the book On Compromise by senior Liberal politician John Morley . He remained

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2176-512: The alliance between Zionism and British imperialism and as one of those responsible for the displacement of the Palestinian Arabs from their homeland. In fact, both are mistaken. On his return to Britain in 1925, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin asked Samuel to look into the problems of the mining industry. The Samuel Commission published its report in March 1926, recommending a reorganisation of

2244-638: The appeal of the Arabs this country will become a river of blood.” In September 1920, al-Dajani became deputy president of a committee of notables established by the Pan-Islamic Movement. In his opening speech, he read letters received from Turkey and India, and called for Pan-Islamic ideals to be embraced by Palestinian Muslims. During 1921 al-Dajani was the Muslim assessor for the Haycraft Commission of Inquiry cross examining witnesses. Al-Dajani

2312-578: The conference. On his journey back to London he met with members of the executive committee in Jerusalem on 28 March 1921, telling them they had to accept the Balfour Declaration as an immutable part of British policy. The fourth congress, on 25 June 1921, was attended by about 100 delegates who voted to send a six-man delegation (led by Musa Kazim) to London. The delegates arrived in London in September and met with

2380-586: The end of the Palestine Arab Congress. It split the Palestinian national movement by excluding Christians, and was bitterly opposed by Amin al-Husseini's critics. Fakhri al-Nashashibi organized a rival event at the King David Hotel , calling it "The Conference of the Islamic Nation". None of the conference proposals came to fruition, although it consolidated Amin al-Husseini's position as a leader of

2448-597: The establishment of branches throughout the Muslim world. It affirmed the holiness of the Al-Aqsa mosque (including the Buraq wall ) and the importance of Palestine to all Muslims, announcing plans for an Islamic university (the Aqsa Mosque University) and an Islamic land company to prevent Zionists from buying land in Palestine. The final session denounced Western imperialism in Muslim countries. The conference may be seen as

2516-575: The event. The Indian delegates wanted the restoration of the Caliphate on the agenda, but al-Husseini maintained the focus on Muslim support for Palestinians. Zia'eddin Tabatabaee , former prime minister of Iran, developed plans for the establishment of an Islamic University in Jerusalem, and later traveled in 1933 to Iraq and India with al-Husseini to raise funds for the project. The Congress lasted for two weeks, electing an executive committee and proposing

2584-567: The expected British Mandate , which was finally granted two years later by the League of Nations . He served as High Commissioner until 1925. Samuel was the first Jew to govern the historic Land of Israel in 2000 years. He recognised Hebrew as one of the three official languages of the territory. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) on 11 June 1920. Samuel's appointment to High Commissioner for Palestine

2652-535: The first President of Israel . According to Weizmann's memoirs, Samuel was already an avid believer in Zionism and believed that Weizmann's demands were too modest. Samuel did not want to enter into a detailed discussion of his plans but mentioned that "the Jews would have to build railways, harbours, a university, a network of schools, etc", as well as potentially a Temple in "modernised form". In January 1915, Samuel circulated

2720-473: The first British politician to deliver a party political broadcast on television. He had previously fronted a broadcast on television at the 1950 election , but this was merely a recording of a radio speech he had made earlier the same evening rather than a true party political broadcast. On 17 November 1897 Samuel married his first cousin Beatrice Miriam (1871–1959), daughter of Ellis Abraham Franklin ,

2788-581: The government in stages, first obtaining the suspension of cabinet collective responsibility on the matter to allow Liberal members of the government to oppose tariffs. In October 1932, the Liberal ministers resigned their ministerial posts but continued to support the National Government in parliament. Finally, in November 1933, Samuel and the bulk of the Liberal MPs crossed the floor of the House of Commons and opposed

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2856-427: The government outright. He remained leader of the Liberal Party until he again lost his seat in 1935. In 1937, he was granted the title Viscount Samuel ; later that year, Samuel, despite his Jewish ancestry, aligned himself with Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain 's appeasement policy towards Adolf Hitler , urged that Germany be cleared of its 1914 war guilt and recommended the return of German colonies lost after

2924-408: The industry but rejecting the suggestion of nationalisation . The report also recommended the government subsidy to be withdrawn and the miners' wages reduced. The report was one of the leading factors that led to the 1926 General Strike . Samuel returned to the House of Commons following the 1929 general election . Two years later, he became deputy leader of the Liberal Party and acted as leader in

2992-699: The more-radical National Party was formed in opposition to the Muslim-Christian Associations and the executive committee. The Congress passed a resolution supporting the Arab Orthodox Movement , and recognized the struggle between Arab Orthodox laity and the Greek-dominated Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchate in broader nationalist terms. Held on 20 June 1928, the congress formed a short-lived united front with Musa Kazim as president. A 48-member executive committee

3060-497: The organization. The Jerusalem Congress convened January 27 – February 10, 1919, under the leadership of Aref al-Dajani and Izzat Darwazah . The resolution reached at this forum was cabled to the Paris Peace Conference on behalf of the Arabs of Palestine, demanding a renunciation of the Balfour Declaration and the inclusion of Palestine as "an integral part of...the independent Arab Government of Syria within an Arab Union, free of any foreign influence or protection." As chairman of

3128-466: The population by his noted "impartiality". He struck a particularly strong relationship with Pinhas Rutenberg , granting him exclusive concessions to produce and distribute electricity in Palestine and Trans-Jordan, often strongly backing Rutenberg in his relations with the Colonial Office in London. Samuel government signed the Ghor-Mudawarra Land Agreement with the Baysan Valley Bedouin tribes, that earmarked for transfer 179,545 dunams of state land to

3196-554: The post. Samuel took advice from a delegation in London representing the Zionists, who told him that the "alarmist" reports were not justified. The Muslim-Christian Association had sent a telegram to Bols: Sir Herbert Samuel regarded as a Zionist leader, and his appointment as first step in formation of Zionist national home in the midst of Arab people contrary to their wishes. Inhabitants cannot recognise him, and Muslim-Christian Society cannot accept responsibility for riots or other disturbances of peace. The wisdom of appointing Samuel

3264-481: The propertied class, and were evenly divided into pro-British and pan-Arab factions. A cable was sent to the Paris Peace Conference, demanding a renunciation of the Balfour Declaration and the inclusion of Palestine as "an integral part of...the independent Arab Government of Syria within an Arab Union, free of any foreign influence or protection". The Congress rejected political Zionism , agreeing to accept British assistance if it did not impinge on Arab sovereignty in

3332-427: The recalled Syrian National Congress, a large number of Palestinians had already gathered in Damascus and organised themselves into the ‘Palestinian Congress’. They posited an independent Palestine within a united Syrian state, denounced Zionism, and demanded an end to Jewish immigration. On 31 May, Palestinian emigres met at the Arab Club in Damascus and resolved to form 'The Palestinian Arab Society'. The officers of

3400-480: The region. Palestine was envisaged as part of an independent Syrian state, governed by Faisal of the Hashemite family. The resolutions of the Jerusalem Congress were as follows: It was decided to send a delegation to Damascus and representatives attended the Syrian National Congress in Damascus on 8 June 1919 "to inform Arab patriots there of the decision to call Palestine Southern Syria and unite it with Northern Syria", while three members were chosen to attend

3468-502: The return of the London delegation. Its leader, Musa Kazem, opposed anti-British agitation and discouraged the use of violence; he reported that possibilities still existed for progress through negotiations. The following resolutions were passed: Before the congress, its executive committee launched a fundraising campaign supporting a general strike held on 13–14 July 1922. Funds were raised from sales of National Movement stamps selling for one, two and five millims . The stamps depicted

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3536-457: The summer of 1931 when Lloyd George was ill. Under Samuel, the party served in the first National Government of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald formed in August 1931, with Samuel himself serving as Home Secretary . However the government's willingness to consider the introduction of protectionist tariffs and call a general election to seek a mandate led to the Liberal Party fragmenting into three distinct groups. Sir John Simon had already led

3604-423: The territory. Samuel was the last member of the Liberal Party to hold one of the four Great Offices of State (as Home Secretary from 1931 to 1932 in the National Government of Ramsay MacDonald ). One of the adherents of "New Liberalism", Samuel helped to draft and present social reform legislation while he was serving as a Liberal cabinet member. Samuel led the party in both the 1931 general election and

3672-405: The war. His biographer John Edward Bowle noted Samuel's recollection of his comments to Lord Halifax in a conversation shortly before the Anschluss in 1938: I said that I regarded Hitler as a man with a conscience — a conscience that sometimes led him to do things that were very bad; but he was not a man who would do what he knew to be a crime as Napoleon would have. The danger was that, being

3740-445: The world to be held in Jerusalem. He obtained permission from retiring High Commissioner John Chancellor , on the condition that the conference did not discuss British policies. On 7 December 1931, 145 delegates from 22 Islamic countries assembled in Jerusalem. Delegates included Abdelaziz Thâalbi (Tunisia), Rida Tawfiq (Turkey), Muhammad Iqbal (India) and delegates from the Wafd (Egypt). Maulana Shaukat Ali (India) helped organize

3808-417: The world would be the annexation of the country to the British Empire ". In March 1915, Samuel replaced the January 1915 draft version with the final version of his memorandum, toned down from the earlier draft, explicitly ruling out any idea of immediately establishing a Jewish state and emphasizing that non-Jews must receive equal treatment under any scheme. In 1917, Britain occupied Palestine (then part of

3876-428: Was "subtly designed to reconcile Arabs to the... pro-Zionist policy" of the British. Islamic custom at the time was that the chief Islamic spiritual leader, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was to be chosen by the temporal ruler, the Ottoman Sultan in Constantinople , from a group of clerics nominated by the indigenous clerics. After the British conquered Palestine, Samuel chose Haj Amin al Husseini , who later proved

3944-426: Was attended by 36 delegates, including Pasha Aref Dajani the Mayor of Jerusalem 1918 (seated fifth from the left next to Pasha Musa Kazem Husseini), Sheik Suleiman al-Taji Al-Faruqi and head of the Catholic community Bullus Shehadeh. The congress was opened by Haifa's mufti , Muhammad Murad. Recently deposed mayor of Jerusalem Musa al-Husayni was elected president and chairman of the nine-member executive committee,

4012-447: Was born in London . He was the son of Clara (Yates) and Edwin Louis Samuel (1825–1877). His uncle was born Montagu Samuel, but became better known as Samuel Montagu , founder of the eponymous bank . He was also known by a Hebrew name, Eliezer ben Pinchas Shmuel . His eldest brother, Sir Stuart Samuel , was also a successful Liberal politician; his only sister, Mabel (1862–1938) married the influential art-critic Marion Spielmann , from

4080-415: Was branded a conspirator by E. Quigley, assistant director of Public Security during the British Mandate . He was a member of the Arab Executive until 1922. Together with Raghib al-Nashashibi , in the early 1920s he led the opposition before splitting in 1926. Herbert Samuel Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel , (6 November 1870 – 5 February 1963) was a British Liberal politician who

4148-424: Was controversial. While the Zionists welcomed the appointment of a Zionist Jew to the post, the military government, headed by Edmund Allenby and Louis Bols , called Samuel's appointment "highly dangerous". Technically, Allenby noted, the appointment was illegal, as a civil administration that would compel the inhabitants of an occupied country to express their allegiance to it before a formal peace treaty (with

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4216-655: Was convened in Jerusalem in accordance with the charter of the organization of the World Islamic Congress in Mecca in 1926. More about the World Islamic Congress in Mecca (1926) see article World Islamic Congress and the note to the current article. As the influence of the Palestine Congress and its executive committee began to wane, other groups and leaders became active; in particular, the Supreme Muslim Council (and its president, Haj Amin al-Husseini) became involved in anti-Zionist activities. In 1931 Amin Husseini began organizing an international conference of Muslim delegates, political and religious, Sunni and Shia , from around

4284-427: Was debated in the House of Lords a day before he arrived in Palestine. Lord Curzon said that no "disparaging" remarks had been made during the debate but that "very grave doubts have been expressed as to the wisdom of sending a Jewish Administrator to the country at this moment". Questions in the House of Commons of the period also show much concern about the choice of Samuel: "what action has been taken to placate

4352-411: Was elected, which selected an administrative staff consisting of a president, three secretaries and two other members. It was decided to send another delegation, the fourth, to London. It set out on 21 March 1930, after the publication of the Shaw Commission report on the 1929 riots . A General Islamic Congress was held in Jerusalem in 1931. The delegates were not just Arabs. The World Islamic Congress

4420-483: Was formed in the Jaffa - Ramleh area, the Palestine Youth Party . Arab members of the Greek Orthodox Church held a congress in Haifa on 15 July 1923. Many Palestinian members of the Greek Orthodox Church were active in anti-Zionism, particularly as editors and publishers of Falastin and Al-Karmil newspapers ( Issa El-Issa and Najib Nassar respectively). The congress was convened after Patriarch Damianus I's sale of land to Zionists for 200,000 Egyptian pounds,

4488-499: Was led by Salma al-Husayni, wife of Musa Kazim. Aref al-Dajani Aref Basha al-Dajani ( Arabic : عارف الدجاني ; 1856 – April 14, 1930) was an Arab Palestinian politician who served as mayor of Jerusalem in 1917–1918. Aref al-Dajani was born in Jerusalem in 1856. In 1918, after serving for one year as mayor of Jerusalem, al-Dajani joined the Administrative Committee of the Muslim-Christian Association (MCA) and went on to become Jerusalem and then regional president of

4556-414: Was not representative led to a broad campaign by the Muslim-Christian Associations to raise public awareness. In March 1921 Musa Kazem led a delegation from the executive committee to meet the British Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill , who had called a conference in Cairo to decide British policy in the Middle East. Churchill agreed to meet the delegation, but refused to discuss any issues until after

4624-418: Was the party leader from 1931 to 1935. He was the first nominally-practising Jew to serve as a Cabinet minister and to become the leader of a major British political party. Samuel had promoted Zionism within the British Cabinet , beginning with his 1915 memorandum entitled The Future of Palestine . In 1920 he was appointed as the first High Commissioner for Palestine , in charge of the administration of

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