Arbs Announce Their Palestine Plan; Want Jews to Remain Permanent Minority

Creation of an independent Arab state to be governed by a Parliament elected by the entire male population over 18 was proposed for Palestine in the plan submitted to the London conference by the Arab representatives, according to the text published today in the local Arab press. All Jewish immigration would be stopped and the present land restrictions would remain in force.

The Arab proposals provide for a British-appointed interim government composed of seven Arabs and three Jews, which would hold elections for a constituent assembly of 60. This assembly would vote on a constitution to be submitted by the interim government. All males over 18 who had been resident in the country for at least ten years would be eligible to vote for members of the assembly.

After the assembly had adopted the draft constitution, elections would be held for a Palestine Parliament, which would elect a head of the state, to take office no later than De. 31, 1948. Prior to the establishment of the Parliament, the executive powers would be in the hands of the interim government, with the High Commissioner reserving the right of veto.

Hebrew would be the second official language of the country and the Jewish community would be allowed to preserve its own net-work of schools, provided that the education “not be poisonous.”

(Quoting highly-placed Arab sources, the Associated Press today reported from Jerusalem that an Arab “shadow government” for Palestine had been organized this weekend at Alexandria, asylum of the exiled Mufti of Jerusalem. These informants said the shadow regime would in effect have the Mufti, Ha, Amin el Husseini, as “President of the Republic,” and his cousin, Jamal Bey Husseini, deputy chairman of the Arab Executive, as “Premier and Secretary of Foreign Affairs.”)