Zionists See Position Strengthened by Reactions in U.S.

Zionist leaders today considered the political crisis threatening the Palestine Jewish homeland to be alleviated for the present, chiefly by the timely expression of American public opinion and the United States Government’s statement of interest in the matter. These developments, Zionists believed, strengthened Colonial Secretary Malcolm MacDonald in his position against other Cabinet members who had demanded a solution of the Palestine problem at any price.

The situation may not become acute again before December, Zionists believed. In the meantime the British Government is determined to wipe out terror in Palestine and restore order. It was learned that at next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting Mr. MacDonald will submit a detailed report on the Palestine situation and is expected to express the view that with the armed forces now available the Palestine terror can be ended in three weeks.

The interval will also be utilized for Government negotiations with the Jews and with the Arabs. The possibility is not excluded of direct Arab-Jewish negotiations. The Jewish Agency Executive will meet tomorrow to decide on further tactics and also whether to convoke a meeting of the Zionist General Council in London in November, after the publication of the Palestine Partition Commission’s report.

This report, it was revealed today by the commentator Scrutator in a lengthy article on Palestine in The Sunday Times, will be split into majority and minority parts, the majority throwing over the partition plan altogether as impracticable. The influential commentator stressed that Palestine’s urgent need was for restoration of law and order.