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The
Arrival of Sir Herbert Samuel, First British High Commissioner
in Palestine
When
the first high commissioner for Palestine arrived in Jerusalem,
he was met with a seventeen-gun salute and endless words of
welcome. Sir Herbert Samuel made the journey in June 1920, and
served as high commissioner for a period of five years. His
appointment was viewed by many Jews as affirmation that the
British promise for a Jewish National Home in Palestine would
be honored. The telegram sent to the Zionist Organisation Central
Office in London reflects the atmosphere of excitement that
surrounded Samuel's arrival.
Samuel himself was moved by the outpouring of emotion which
greeted him in the Land of Israel. He had been raised in an
Orthodox Jewish home, and although he subsequently ceased
practicing, he remained intensely interested in Jewish communal
problems.
Samuel's
career in different British posts was unique in its scope;
he was the first unconverted Jew to serve in a Cabinet office.
Samuel first presented the idea of a British protectorate
in 1915. In a memorandum to Prime Minister Asquith, he proposed
that a British protectorate be established which would allow
for increased Jewish settlement. In time, the future Jewish
majority would enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy. Herbert
believed that the creation of a Jewish center would flourish
spiritually and intellectually, resulting in the character
improvement of Jews all over the world. At that time, however,
Prime Minister Asquith was not interested in pursuing such
an option, and no action was taken. Yet significant groundwork
had been accomplished, and it was on the basis of Samuel's
work that the Balfour Declaration was later written.
It was therefore no surprise that Samuel was appointed first
high commissioner of Palestine. His appointment made him the
first Jew to govern in the Land of Israel in 2,000 years.
Anxious to serve his country well, Samuel made it clear that
his policy was to unite all dissenting groups under the British
flag. Attempting to appease the Arabs in Palestine, Samuel
made several significant concessions. It was he who appointed
Hajj Amin al-Husseini, a noted Arab
nationalist extremist, to be Mufti of Jerusalem. In addition,
he slowed the pace of Jewish immigration to Palestine, much
to the distress of the Zionists. In attempting to prove his
impartiality, the Zionists claimed that he had gone too far,
and had damaged the Zionist cause. Many Zionists were ultimately
disappointed by Samuel, who they felt did not live up
to the high expectations they had of him.
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