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The question of whether Sir Henry McMahon promised Sherif Hussein of Mecca Arab control over all territories to be liberated from Turkey, including Palestine, is a topic of great debate. In his first letter, dated July 14, 1915, Sherif Hussein requests from Sir Henry McMahon, the British high commissioner in Egypt, that the British government “acknowledge the independence of the Arab countries acknowledge the independence of the Arab countries, bounded on the north by Mersina and Adana up to the 37th degree of latitude, on which degree fall Birijik, Urfa, Mardin, Midiat, Jezirat (Ibn Umar), Amadia, up to the border of Persia; on the east by the borders of Persia up to the Gulf of Basra; on the south by the Indian Ocean, with the exception of the position of Aden to remain as it is; on the west by the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea up to Mersina.” Sherif Hussein made it clear in his first letter that the Arabs want all territories liberated from turkey, including Palestine, to be independent, free Arab countries. Throughout the Correspondence Sir Henry McMahon addresses the situation of land promised to the Arabs by the British and he adds restrictions to Hussein’s request, one of which appears to be Palestine.
Sir Henry McMahon, in a letter dated October 24, 1915, promised Sherif Hussein that the British government is prepared to recognize and support the independence of the Arabs in all the regions within the limits demanded. ... ” In this passage sir Henry McMahon is telling Sherif Hussein that the portions of land which are located west of the vilayet of Damascus are not purely Arab and thus will not be promised to them by the British. Isaiah Friedman, a professor of history in Ben Gurion University, also discusses this matter in his article about the McMahon Hussein Correspondence. Friedman states that the area that McMahon is excluding from Arab self-rule is the area west of Syria, which includes Palestine. ... For this reason McMahon excluded Palestine in the correspondence. According to Friedman, another man by the name of Muhammad Sherif al-Faruqi, was in contact with Hussein during these negotiations and had a big influence in the Arab community.
Approximate Word count = 1757
Approximate Pages = 7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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