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Palestine Government Announces Arrested Jewish Mayors Will Not Be Dismissed

August 11, 1947
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The three Jewish mayors arrested last week in the mass round-up of Jewish leaders by Palestine police will not be dismissed from their posts nor does the government intend to appoint deputies for them, a government spokesman declared tonight. Earlier in the week-end, it was reported that they had been denied the privilege of having visitors because they refused to answer queries put by British intelligence agents.

Although the week-end passed with comparatively few incidents three Jews may face the gallows shortly. Two of the Jews were arrested after the blasting yesterday of a railroad train between Lydda and Hadera. Four cars were derailed and the Jewish locomotive engineer, Victor Cohen, was killed. The third Jew was captured loading a camel leaded with ammunition and explosives.

A bomb exploded in the income tax office here, but only slight damage resulted and no one was injured. After planting the bomb, extremists warned the employees who evacuated the building in time.

Three wounded Jews were arrested in Haifa today following an explosion in a taxi cab. It is believed that they intended to carry out an attack, but the mine went off prematurely. One man escaped and one was found in the cab, while the other two were discovered hiding in the vicinity.

Several men in police uniforms last night posted signs in Rohovoth threatening the Jews with further violence compared to which, they read, the killings in Tel Aviv was “child’s play.” The Palestine censor would not permit the Hebrew press to mention this incident.

Following the arrest of three more Revisionist leaders the Revisionist organ Harashkif launched an attack on the Jewish Agency, asserting that there was no doubt that the arrest of some 30-odd Revisionist leaders was due either directly or indirectly to a desire by some Jewish leaders to silence the opposition. This charge was denied categorically by an Agency spokesman.

BEN GURION CALLS IN BRITISH TO WITHDRAW FROM PALESTINE

A two-day conference of the Mapai, Palestine Labor Party, on the current political situation would up today with a resolution calling on the Palestine Jewish community to combat the extremists and urging the Zionist organizations of all countries to oppose the “disguised promoters of a Jewish government-in-exile.” Earlier, David Ben Gurion, chairman of the Agency executive, called for the withdrawal of Britain from Palestine. He asserted that since Britain had failed to carry out its obligations under the Palestine Mandate–the only reason for its presence in Palestine–it must leave.

Other resolutions adopted at the parley included a demand for the release of the detained Jewish leaders; warned the security forces to uproot anti-Semitism among British soldiers and policemen; and protested the Arab boycott of Jewish-made goods.

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