Members of the executive committee of the Jewish Agency today held a meeting here to discuss the speech delivered by Prime Minister Attlee to the Arab delegations at the opening session of the conference on Palestine, which the Agency has so far declined to attend. A copy of Attlee’s address was also communicated to Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the Agency who is now resting in a country home before a third eye operation.
No statement was issued after the meeting, but it is understood that Jewish circles feel that the government has made a mistake by going on with the conference before preliminary discussions–which were broken off a week ago–established a satisfactory basis for formal talks. A spokesman of the Jewish Agency, commenting on Attlee’s speech, said: “From reading the speech one would not think such a thing as a Jewish people existed.”
Harry Goodman, political secretary of the Agudas Israel, last night met with Colonial Secretary George Hall, following the meeting held by Jewish groups in Britain, to discuss the matter of Jewish representation at the conference on Palestine. Present at the meeting were Prof. Selig Brodetsky and M. Linton of the Jewish Agency, Leonard Stein and Neville Laski of the Anglo-Jewish Association, Dr. Feldman and Barnett Janner of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and Rabbi Horovitz and Harry Goodman of the Agudas Israel.
The move by Goodman keeps the door open for future Jewish participation in the conference, but the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned from reliable sources that the Jewish groups at their meeting all agreed that they would not attend the conference unless the Jewish Agency participates or consents to the participation of other organizations.
The meeting agreed to continue close consultation and exchange of views in order to avoid differences or overlapping, although each organization will maintain its independence. The non-Agency groups hope that a formula can still be found to enable the Jews to participate in the conference. These groups are especially hopeful that the British Government will smooth the way by obtaining the consent of the representatives of the Arab states to discuss the question of partition.
“VIABLE JEWISH STATE” IS AGENCY’S DEMAND, GOLDMANN SAYS
In view of the many conflicting reports regarding the Jewish Agency’s refusal to participate in the conference on Palestine, Dr. Nahum Goldmann today told a press conference that the Agency is ready to participate at any time, if the government indicates its willingness to discuss the creation of a “viable Jewish state within an adequate area.” He emphasized that this does not mean, as has been misrepresented, that the Agency insists that the government endorse partition, but it merely means that the government be prepared sincerely to discuss partition without committing itself on support of the project.
Dr. Goldmann criticized the refusal of the British Government to properly prepare for the conference by holding preliminary informal discussions with Jews and Arabs on questions of substance.
The entire British press today published articles emphasizing that the present conference may lead to some kind of a compromise which will be acceptable to both the Jews and Arabs. The Manchester Guardian points out that though the British Government still stands on its federalization plan, this plan contains within it the outlines of partition which the Jews want. If the Arab states participating in the conference will accept “something not very far short of partition,” the paper believes that a solution will be reached.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
