Jabotinsky Banned

In honor of his yahrtzeit this coming Sunday:

Ze'ev Jabotinsky was prohibited by the British government from returning to the area of the Palestine Mandate after leaving in late 1929 for a speaking tour and in fact, never merited entering the territory of the Jewish national homeland until his death.

One protest:

PALESTINE (LIEUTENANT JABOTINSKY).

HC Deb 16 September 1931

§11. Colonel WEDGWOOD asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Lieutenant Jabotinsky may now be allowed hack in Palestine?

Mr. THOMAS After considering this matter further in consultation with the acting High Commissioner, I am satisfied that the circumstances are not such as would justify any modification, at the present juncture, of the attitude adopted by the late Secretary of State.

§Colonel WEDGWOOD Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Lieutenant Jabotinsky fought for us in the War and was decorated, and that he has been excluded from Palestine solely because of the Arab massacres?

Mr. THOMAS The question as to what should be the attitude to those who fought in the War will have to be considered in relationship to their present attitude. I am sure that the late Secretary of State, who is always anxious to preserve what is called freedom of speech, arrived at this decision in the best interests of Palestine and in the best interests of everybody.

§Colonel WEDGWOOD May I ask whether the previous Secretary of State, who knew Jabotinsky well, did not have quite a different opinion of him?

Mr. THOMAS I do not know the opinion of the previous Secretary of State, but the late Secretary of State, Lord Passfield, considered the whole situation before coming to a decision. I see no reason to alter his decision.

§Colonel HOWARD-BURY Is not this gentleman a firebrand; and would it not be unwise to allow him to enter Palestine in the present state of affairs in that country?

Incidentally, his remains, buried in New York where he died in 1940, were also not permitted to be returned to Israel by David Ben-Gurion and it was only Prime Minister Levi Eshkol who allowed the reinternment in 1964.

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