Palin Commission

The Palin Commission or Palin Commission of Inquiry or Palin Court of Inquiry was a British Royal Commission convened to investigate the cause of the 1920 Jerusalem riots, which took place between April 4, 1920 and April 7, 1920. The Commission was also tasked with investigating “the extent and causes of racial feelings that at present exist in Palestine”.[1]

The Commission completed its report on July 1, 1920 at Port Said.

The Commission reported that the prelude to the attacks resulted from Arab disappointment at the non-fulfillment of the promises of independence by British authorities, the belief that the Balfour Declaration implied a denial of the Arab right of self-determination, and fear that the establishment of a national home for Jews would result in a significant increase in Jewish immigration, leading to Arab economic and political subjugation.

The Commission’s final report was never published, in anticipation of Zionist objections.[2]

The report is held in the Foreign Office papers at the National Archives as document E9379 under FO 371/5121.[3]

  1. ^ Safieh, Diana (2023-02-02). "The 1920 Jerusalem riots – Arab fears, Zionist pressures, faulty security cited in British Palin inquiry - Balfour Project". Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  2. ^ Elgindy, Khaled (2019). Blind spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8157-3155-9.
  3. ^ FO 371 - Foreign Office: Political Departments: General Correspondence from 1906-1966; FO 371/5121 - Turkey. Code 44 File 85 (papers 8154 - 9913)