Beschreibung:

SIR THOMAS WAGSTAFFE HAYCRAFT (1859-1936)
SIR THOMAS WAGSTAFFE HAYCRAFT (1859-1936) Palestine. Disturbances in May, 1921. Reports of the Commission of Inquiry with Correspondence Relating Thereto. [Cmd. 1540.] London: HMSO, 1921. 8° (244 x 158mm). 62pp. (2 leaves with very minor marginal chips.) Original self-wrappers (covers lightly soiled with marginal staining). Provenance : Foreign & Commonwealth Office (smudged ink stamp on upper cover, biro classmark on lower cover, tiny marginal tear to lower cover, staples renewed). HAYCRAFT COMMISSION REPORT ON THE 1921 RIOTS, which found the fundamental cause of the disturbances was due to Arab discontent with, and hostility to, increased Jewish immigration, Zionist policies, communist ideology among some parts of the Jewish community, as well as perceived differences in economic prosperity between old Jaffa and new Tel-Aviv. Herbert Samuel, the High Commissioner, responded to the commission's recommendations with a two-track strategy of strengthening the government's powers to suppress lawlessness, and by mollifying the Arab population by temporarily suspending Jewish immigration. By doing so he not only roused Jewish anger, but compounded the problem by appointing Haj Amin al-Husseini as Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and president of the Muslim Supreme Council. This political decision was in part driven by an attempt to balance the election of rival Raghib al-Nashashibi as Mayor of Jerusalem in 1920 (see lot 371); but al-Husseini was able to use this position to secure his power base, and later to use it to become the leader of the Arab rebellion 1936-1939, organise the anti-British coup in Iraq in 1941, and work with the Nazis in Berlin during the Second World War. Khalidi & Khadduri 1538.