Arab-jewish Understanding Possible if London Conference on Palestine Falls, Says Sneh

The British Government reached a decision on Palestine unfavorable to Zionist aspirations some time ago, but is using the now recessed London conference to camouflage its intentions, it was charged today by Dr. Moshe Sneh, a leading member of the Jewish Agency executive, who arrived here this week from Paris.

Dr. Sneh told a press conference that he hoped the Jewish Agency would not participate in the conference when it reopens on Dec. 16. He ridiculed the “federation plan” offered by the British Government and declared that the World Zionist Congress, which is scheduled to open early next month in Switzerland, must call for a boycott of any British plan which does not provide for the establishment of an autonomous Jewish state.

“The failure of the London conference on Palestine will open possibilities for direct Arab-Jewish understanding,” he declared, emphasizing that he was not in a position to elaborate any further on this statement publicly. He said that the present regime in Palestine means the “murder of Zionism” and called for a change in present Zionist policy in order to destroy it. He especially urged that the Zionist movement “emancipate itself” from its pro-British orientation.

PREDICTS ZIONIST POLITICAL ACTIVITIES MAY SHIFT FROM LONDON TO U.S.

Asserting that British soldiers in Palestine act towards Jews as the Cossacks did in Czarist Russia, Dr. Sneh questioned the legality of continued British rule in Palestine after the admission by the government that it cannot carry out the provisions of the mandate. Palestine, he pointed out, is not a part of the British Empire. The country was merely entrusted to Britain for the sole purpose of carrying out the mandate which aimed at facilitating larger Jewish immigration, he stated.

Dr. Sneh called upon American Jews to form an “American-Palestine Axis” with regard to action on Palestine. He predicted that Zionist political activities will shift from London to the United States, and emphasized that American Jews, having the backing of the Jews in Palestine, can achieve important results. He also suggested that a way be found to merge the functions of the American Zionist Emergency Council with that of the Jewish Agency, so that American Zionists should have a greater say in the political plans of the Agency.

Emphasizing that the most important Jewish communities in the world will remain those of the United States and Palestine, Dr. Sneh also appealed to American Zionists to send chalutzim to Palestine. He declared that the Yishuv needs young American Jews, since not all of the Jewish survivors from Europe who are to be brought to Palestine are able-bodied.