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Australian Prime Minister Explains Rejection of Plan for Jewish Settlement in Kimberly

November 26, 1944
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The Freeland League for Jewish Colonization has been officially informed by Prime Minister John Curtin of Australia that the Commonwealth Government has rejected the plan for a Jewish settlement in the Kimberly region of northwestern Australia because the Government “is unable to see its way clear to depart from the long established policy in regard to alien settlements in Australia,” it was disclosed today by Dr. I. N. Steinberg, president of the Freeland League and chief sponsor of the Kimberly project.

Expressing his belief that the decision of the australian Government was not final, Dr. Steinberg pointed out that settlement of Jews in Kimberly would not involve any change in the Australian policy in regard to “alien settlements” since it was not planned to set up a Jewish region with interests different from the rest of Australia, but rather a “living space” for Jewish colonization which would be economically and politically fitted into the framework of Australia. He pointed out that two provincial governments – Western Australia and Tasmania – had approved Jewish settlement.

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