§ LORD DAVIESMy Lords, I beg to ask the second question standing in my name.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether they can state the total numbers of Jews and of Arabs respectively enlisted in His Majesty's Forces since the beginning of the war; whether the offer of the Jewish Agency to recruit a Jewish Division for service in any theatre of the war had been accepted; and, if so, what steps have been taken to give effect to this arrangement.]
§ LORD CROFTMy Lords, no statistical information is available to show the total numbers of Jews and Arabs respectively enlisted in His Majesty's Forces since the beginning of the war. The number of Palestinians serving at the end of October, 1941, in various units of the Army in the Middle East was as follows:—
| Jews. | Arabs. | |
| (1) Palestine Infantry Company | 1,359 | 1,032 |
| (2) Services, such as R.E., R.A.S.C | 3,334 | 502 |
| (3) Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps | 2,835 | 1,321 |
| (4) Port Operating Companies | 457 | 525 |
| 7,985 | 3,383 |
§ It will be seen that a substantial number of Palestinian Jews are already serving in various branches of the Army. It was found, however, that the formation of a Jewish Division would present very serious practical difficulties, but encouragement has been given to the recruitment of Palestinian Jews into units of the British Army.
§ LORD DAVIESMy Lords, arising out of that reply, may I ask my noble friend if it refers to the Division which the Jewish Agency were prepared to recruit overseas for service, apparently in any theatre of war?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (LORD MOYNE)My Lords, my noble friend raises a rather larger question than that of the Palestinian Jews fighting in Palestine. As he apparently wishes for details of the proposal to recruit a Jewish Force outside Palestine, perhaps 103 the House will allow me to supplement the statement which my noble friend Lord Croft has just made. The Government decided at the end of 1940 to accept, in principle, a project submitted by Dr. Weizmann, on behalf of the Zionist Organization, to recruit, partly in Palestine up to about 3,000, and partly in the United States and elsewhere up to, say, another 7,000, making a total of 10,000, a Jewish Force which would be incorporated in the British Army and trained in this country. Lord Lloyd saw Dr. Weizmann at the beginning of January of this year and he conveyed to him the Government's decision.
When I succeeded Lord Lloyd at the Colonial Office, and in due course took up the matter with Dr. Weizmann, I found that various points which had been raised by Dr. Weizmann on behalf of the Jewish Agency were still outstanding. The War Office at this time reached the conclusion that there was no early possibility of bringing such a force as was proposed within their programme of expansion, and Dr. Weizmann was accordingly informed, before he went to America last March, that consideration of the scheme would have to be postponed owing to difficulties of equipment. The House will understand that negotiations never reached the final stage, and they were put off from time to time owing to military reasons. After Dr. Weizmann had returned from the United States, he informed me, on September I, that, owing to various reasons, it was no longer convenient to leave the matter open, and that he would prefer a definite refusal to any further uncertain postponement. The matter was therefore again very carefully considered by His Majesty's Government, with the advice of the Departments concerned, and the final answer was conveyed to Dr. Weizmann on October 15, that the War Office saw no prospect of accepting the proposal under present conditions. I know that there has been a great deal of disappointment over this matter, but it will be understood that conditions and equipment are very different now from what they were a few months before we were sending such very large assistance to Russia. I think the noble Lord will realize that there can be no question of pledges or promises in a case of this kind, where not only have the details 104 never been settled but no conflicting interests can possibly be allowed to override the dominating consideration of the best use of man-power and equipment.
LORD STRABOLGIMy Lords, I should like to ask a question arising out of the statement by the noble Lord, the Leader of the House. He did not make it quite clear, I think, whether this matter could be reopened later on. We have just heard from the noble Lord, Lord Croft, about the need of the Army for men, and I gather that we have here an offer of 10,000 soldiers. I take it that the matter can be reopened.
§ LORD MOYNEMy Lords, Dr. Weizmann asked for a final answer. I am afraid that I cannot say whether it would be of any use to reopen the matter .