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Arab League Forms Palestine Arab Government over Protests of Transjordan and Iraq

September 21, 1948
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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King Abdullah will not permit the seating of a Palestine Arab Government in Jerusalem, the Transjordan-controlled Remallah radio declared today following receipt of a report from Amman that the Arab League had established a Palestine Government. The Palestine Arab Government was formed over the protests of both Transjordan and Iraq.

An Arab League announcement declared that Aimed Hilmy Pasha, military governor of the Arab-held section of Jerusalem, has been named Prime Minister in the new government. A report from Amman said that Abdullah has refused to permit the formation of the new government anywhere “within the security zone of the Transjordan Government.” He interprets that security zone as extending from the borders of the Egyptian kingdom to the frontiers of Syria and Lebanon. Abdullah, advocate of a Greater Syria headed by himself, added that the “creation of such a government is an arbitrary act without the consent of the Palestine people, a thing I will not agree to and will oppose.”

A report emanating from Damascus said that a Constituent Assembly of the new Arab state would be held somewhere outside the borders of Palestine within the next six days. The report said that King Abdullah telegraphed the Arab League he would oppose setting up a Palestine Arab Government because “should this government be formed and recognized by the United Nations, as were Jewish claims, it would mean that the Arab League had accomplished partition, which it fought against.”

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