"I have not until now made known to Arabs my opinion on the question of Palestine, in order to avoid placing them at the present time in a critical position with the Allies. But I should like to explain my views, so that you can inform our friends, the American people. First, I do not know that the Jews have any justification for their claims in Palestine on the grounds that for centuries before the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Palestine was Jewish land. The Romans had conquered the Jews, killing and scattering them so that no trace of their rule remained. The Arabs conquered Palestine over 1,300 years ago, freeing it from the Romans, and since that time it has remained Muslim. The Jews therefore have no right to the country, because all countries in the world have been conquered by people who have made undisputed homes in such lands. If we were to follow the Jewish theory, many of the settled people of the world would have to leave their homes."