§ Mr. N. Macphersonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will 461W give the population of each of the seven areas into which Palestine is to be divided under the revised U.N.O. plan, showing it under the following separate headings: Arab, Jewish, other races.
§ Mr. Rees-WilliamsThe figures in the form requested by the hon. Member are not readily available. The population of Palestine is classified in official statistics under two heads: (a) Jews; and (b) Arabs and others. The Palestine Government estimate that the distribution of the population, settled and Bedouin together, in the two States and in the area of the City of Jerusalem on 31st December, 1946, was approximately as follows:
Arab State Arabs and others … 847,000 Jews … 10,000 Total … 857,000 Jewish State Arabs and others … 405,000 Jews … 498,000 Total … 903,000 City of Jerusalem Arabs and others … 105,000 Jews … 100,000 Total … 205,000 Total Arabs … 1,357,000 Total Jews … 608,000 Grand Total … 1,965,000 I am asking the High Commissioner for Palestine for an analysis of these figures to indicate respective populations in the different sectors of the Arab and Jewish States and will communicate with the hon. Member when I am in receipt of his reply.
It will be understood that the above figures relate to the areas within the boundaries described in Part II of the United Nations plan and do not take account of any changes which may result from the instruction in Part I of the plan that these boundaries are to be modified in such a way that village areas as a rule will not be divided by State boundaries unless pressing reasons make that necessary.