May 3, 2023

“Moderate, Friendly and Statesmanlike”

Finest Hour 196, Second Quarter 2022

Page 41

Abdullah ibn Hussein (1882–1951) was the second son of the Sharif of Mecca, who declared independence from the Turks in 1916. After the First World War, Abdullah was established as the ruler of Jordan, known initially as Trans-Jordania. Although most people considered Abdullah’s younger brother Feisal to be the most impressive of the sons of the Sharif, Abdullah proved himself to be a shrewd leader. In this originally secret Cabinet memorandum from 2 April 1921, Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill described his meetings with the founder of Jordan’s Hashemite dynasty.

I had four interviews with the Emir Abdullah in Jerusalem. His attitude was moderate, friendly and statesmanlike. His visit excited considerable demonstration of Arab enthusiasm taking a distinctly anti-Zionist character. He maintained an absolutely correct attitude, reproved the demonstrators, stated that the British were his friends, and that the British Government would keep their promises to Jews and Arabs alike.

The general drift of our policy had already been explained to him by Col. Lawrence, who has his complete confidence. I gave him my proposals, already communicated to my colleagues, for constituting Trans-Jordania an Arab province of Palestine under an Arab Governor appointed by the High Commissioner in consultation with himself. He hesitated over this and finally asked that it should be referred to his father and to his brother Feisal, the remnant of whose governate the province was. He then advanced as his own idea of the best solution the appointment of an Arab Emir for Palestine and Trans-Jordania bearing the same relation to the British High Commissioner as would be determined for Mesopotamia. This, he thought, was the best way to allay the growing alarm of the Moslems at the Zionist movement. I explained that such a solution was incompatible with our mandate. He said he was not making demands, but only giving advice as a friend….Abdullah has now returned to Amman to begin work for us.