Arab Pariey Calls for Economic Boycott of Jews; Reserves High Post for Mufti

A conference of Arab political parties held in Jaffa over the week-end, under the auspices of the Arab Front Party, adopted resolutions urging an economic boycott of Jewish goods and requested all Arab countries to enforce the boycott and to impose a high protective tariff on imports of Jewish manufactures.

The conference, which was attended by representatives of neighboring Arab countries, leaders of five political parties in Palestine, Arab labor organizations and the Arab Villager’s Union, also decided to demand a complete stoppage of Jewish immigration, both legal and illegal, failing which, the resolution said, the Arabs “would find themselves obliged to guard their own frontiers.” The Palestine Arab Party, which was formerly headed by Haj Amin el Husseini, the ex-Murti of Jerusalem, did not attend the conference, because, it charged, the parley had been organized by pro-British elements. However, the meeting voted to reserve for the ex-Mufti the presidency of the Higher Arab Committee which it was decided must be re-established. This committee was dissolved by the Palestine Government after the riots in Palestine during 1936-37.

The underground Jewish radio, “Voice of Israel,” today reports that three delegates left here recently to invite the Mufti to “revert to his former activities.” The broadcast said that secret discussions are in progress in Damascus between Syrian Government circles and two former aides of the Mufti, Aklan Zoedar, his one-time chief of staff and Azzak Darnoda, both of whom had been hiding in Turkey until recently. It claimed that plans had been mapped for disturbances in Palestine, “but the Jewish resistance movement is on guard.”

Leaflets containing anti-British statements were scattered in the center of Pel Aviv last night, which several “pamphlet bombs” were exploded. They were signed by the “Irgun Zvai Leumi.” Meanwhile, units of British troops are re-inforcing all police posts throughout Palestine and barbed wire fences are being erected around police stations in the southern pert of the country.

ARABS QUIT GOVERNMENT COMMISSION IN PROTEST AGAINST PARITY WITH JEWS

All five Arab members of the War Economic Advisory Committee today submitted their resignation. They gave as their reason the Government’s maintenance of parity between Arabs and Jews, despite alleged assurances to the contrary, and demanded that the basis of representation on all boards should be two to one in favor of the Arabs according to their proportion of the population.

The prosident of the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies has addressed a protest to the governments of the United States, Britain and Russia against President Truman’s request that 100,000 Jews be admitted to Palestine, it is reported from Bagdad by Reuters, The dispatch says that it has been officially confirmed that in an exchange of correspondence with Iraqi Regent Abul Illah, the late President Roosevelt assured the Regent that no decision affecting Palestine would be reached without full consultation with both Arabs and Jews. The Regent’s note to Roosevelt had stated that Zionist was a political movement unrelated to the Jewish religion and its demands were without basis in logic or truth. To ignore the Arab claims, the note stressed, would be incompatible with the principles for which the war was fought.

Routers also reports that in response to an appeal by the Palestine Arab Party that neighboring Arab countries stage sympathy strikes on Friday, the 28th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, in conjunction with a country-wide strike of Arabs in Palestine, the executive of the carpenters’ association in Bagdad today voted to convene a meeting on that day to “protest Zionist endeavors to colonize Palestine.”