Prompt action on the unanimous recommendations of the Anglo-American inquiry committee, particularly on the proposal for the immediate transfer of 100,000 displaced Jews from Europe to Palestine, was urged upon the British Government by the Anglo-Jewish Association.
In a statement released today the Association welcomed “the constructive proposals” of the inquiry committee and expressed satisfaction that the group affirmed that “no government of Palestine can fail to do its best not only to maintain a Jewish national home there, but to foster development of the country, including immigration.”
The Palestine military and police contingent, which will march in the British Empire victory parade in London on June 8, is expected to arrive in Liverpool next Monday, it was announced today. The Jewish members of the Palestine regiment will be met there by representatives of the Jewish Agency and later the Agency will tender a reception in their honor.
The Palestine troops will march among the colonial detachments, while the Arab Legion will march with representatives of allied nations, in view of Transjordan’s recently granted independence.
The Colonial Office official announcement on the participation of colonial troops emphasizes that Palestinians were among the first colonial troops to actively participate in World War II. The statement points out that the first Palestinian Pioneer company saw action in France in 1940. Later, companies were transferred to Egypt and eventually served with British and Anzac forces in Greece. At that time there were 2,600 Jews and 1,200 Arabs from Palestine in the British services.
Referring to the Jews’ persistent demands for a separate Jewish fighting force, the Colonial Office statement says that the Jewish Brigade was organized in 1944 and actively engaged the enemy in Italy from March to May 1945, suffering 200 casualties. Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander praised their performance and stressed that they were most eager to close with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. It has not yet been revealed which detachment of the Brigade will march in the contingent of the British Army of the Rhine.
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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.
