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2-hour Arab-jewish Roundtable Parley Proves Unproductive; New Session Today

February 24, 1939
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Jewish, Arab and British delegates met at one table for the first time in the 16-day old triangular conferences today to consider together the Palestine problem, but a two-hour discussion failed to reveal any indication of a basis for agreement. The roundtable session will be resumed tomorrow afternoon. Today’s discussions, held in the picture gallery of St. James Palace under the chairmanship of Colonial Secretary Malcolm MacDonald, revolved around general principles rather than particular questions. The atmosphere at the meeting was described as quite friendly.

It was understood that the session represented an attempt to get down to the basic aspects of the Palestine question and that is covered mainly the same grounds covered during the formal meetings of the British representatives separately with Jews and Arabs. It was noteworthy, however, that today’s meeting was the first occasion on which the representatives of all three parties discussed the questions together. Informed sources said the discussion revolved largely around the question of the Palestine mandate, rights claimed by the Jews and Arab fears of Jewish domination. The meeting was opened by Mr. MacDonald with a brief prefatory statement and informal discussion followed. No agenda had been arranged for the session, those attending being permitted to speak on any aspects of the problem.

Members of the Palestine Arab delegation were not invited, the Arabs being represented by the delegates from Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It was stressed today that the delegates attended the meeting as individuals rather than as representatives of their delegations, but they sat by delegations around one table replacing the usual horseshoe arrangement. It was declared in official quarters that no change in the general situation had resulted from the meeting. Arab-British discussions will be continued Saturday, while a British-Jewish session scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed.

The Government was represented today by Mr. MacDonald, Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax, Foreign Undersecretary Richard A. Butler and several experts and members of the Palestine conference secretariat. The Arab representatives in- cluded Premier Nuri Pasha es-Said and Foreign Minister Tewfik es-Suwaidy, of Iraq, Ali Maher Pasha of Egypt and Fuad Hamza, of Saudi Arabia. The Jewish delegation was headed by Dr. Chaim Weizmann and included David Ben Gurion, Prof. Selig Brodetsky, Moshe Shertok, Dr. Stephen S. Wiso, Lord Bearsted, Lord Reading and Simon Marks.

The Jewish Agency Executive this afternoon heard a report of the session and the Jewish conference committee will meet tomorrow morning to review the situation.

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