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Congressman Will Fight Elimination of “commonwealth” from Palestine Resolution

February 28, 1944
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Rep. James A. Wright of Pennsylvania, co-sponsor of the Palestine Resolution and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today announced that he would fight against any attempt to have the resolution amended. He indicated that he thought efforts would be made to eliminate the words “Jewish Commonwealth” in the text of the resolution.

“After studying the question and listening to the testimony,” he said, “I am more than ever convinced that the Jews are entitled to Palestine as a matter of right, The Arabs have no claim to Palestine or even to a preservation of their majority status there.”

“I agree with Rep. Rogers,” he continued, ” that the use of the word “Commonwealth” is a clarification of the declaration. I am personally convinced of the necessity for an ultimate commonwealth to give direction to the work in Palestine and I shall fight to have the resolution go through without weakening.”

Wright expressed the belief that establishment of a peaceful post-war world was a pressing problem and that there was no better way of beginning than by solving the Palestine question. “World justice is inconceivable without provision for justice for the Jews,”he said. “Why should any oppressed people believe in our desire for world justice unless we now state that we intend to correct the injustice of the White Paper? England has been the leader. She has been forced into hard decisions with steps which involved her very existence. As our fortunes improve, I am sure that the Anglo-Saxon tradition of fair dealing will now persuade her that her course lies along the path shown to her by Balfour, Lloyd George, Churchill and Smuts.”

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