March 15, 1930
Sir:
Your letter has given me great pleasure. It shows me that there is good will available on
your side, too, for solving the present difficulties in a manner worthy of both our nations. I
believe that these difficulties are more psychological than real, and that they can be got over
if both sides bring honesty and good will to the task.
What makes the present position so bad is the fact that Jews and Arabs confront each other
as opponents before the mandatory power. This state of affairs is unworthy of both nations
and can only be altered by our finding a via media on which both sides agree.
I will now tell you how I think that the present difficulties might be remedied; at the same
time I must add that this is only my personal opinion, which I have discussed with nobody. I
am writing this letter in German because I am not capable of writing it in English myself
and because I want to bear the entire responsibility for it myself. You will, I am sure, be able
to get some Jewish friend of conciliation to translate it.
A Privy Council is to be formed to which the Jews and Arabs shall each send four
representatives, who must be independent of all political parties: -
Each group to be composed as follows:
A doctor, elected by the Medical Association.
A lawyer, elected by the lawyers.
A working men's representative, elected by the trade unions.
An ecclesiastic, elected by the ecclesiastics.
These eight people are to meet once a week. They undertake not to espouse the sectional
interests of their profession or nation but conscientiously and to the best of their power to aim
at the welfare of the whole population of the country. Their deliberations shall be secret and
they are strictly forbidden to give any information about them, even in private. When a
decision has been reached on any subject in which not less than three members on each side
concur, it may be published, but only in the name of the whole Council. If a member dissents
he may retire from the Council, but he is not thereby released from the obligation to secrecy.
If one of the elective bodies above specified is dissatisfied with a resolution of the Council, it
may replace its representative by another.
Even if this "Privy Council" has no definite powers, it may nevertheless bring about the
gradual composition of differences, and secure a united representation of the common
interests of the country before the mandatory power, clear of the dust of ephemeral politics.
Source: Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein, based on Mein Weltbild published by Querido Verlag and on
other sources, translated and revised by Sonja Bargmann, Crown Publishers, Inc.
