American Observer Foresees Conflict Between Britain and Jews over Palestine Industry

Jews in Palestine have contributed immeasurably from an industrial standpoint to the United Nations war effort but industrial demobilization will be their reward because the British government has decided that when peace comes only those industries which can obtain raw materials within Palestine itself will be permitted to continue, Frank Gervast asserts in the current issue of Collierts weekly.

“And there, in a potential conflict between Britians and Jews over Palestine’s industrial future, you have one of several important sources of trouble in the world’s most troubled land next to India,” writes Gervast. “Other wells of discord–one; freedom of Jewish immigration to Palestine; two; removal of obstacles against the free purchase of land by Jews; three, the right to bear arms in self-defense, and four as ultimate creation of a Palestine state–are being kept well capped for the duration but threaten to blow their lids immediately after peace is ‘declared’.”

Gervasi points out that the “total Palestinian industrial output for 1943 was valued at 120 million dollars,” which tripled that for 1937, and says that “the high degree of mechanical aptitude of Jewish workers made Palestine the only place between Britain and India where industry existed on a European standard.” Jews in Palestine, who helped grew tons of food for Allied troops, “went meatless eggless, potstones and sugarless long before rationing hit the United States,” he states.

The article, which is entitled “The Jews as a Soldier,” reviews the fine war record of Palestinian Jewish soldiers and also cites the large number of Jews serving in the Russian forces, all making with the underground movements in Yugoslavia, Poland, Greece, Czechoslovakia and other occupied countries.Gervasi says that the percentage of Jews serving in the armed forces of the various United Nations is well above the proportion of Jews in the general population of these countries.