Britain is Attempting to Turn Palestine into a Death Trap, Jewish Agency Charges

The British Government was charged here today ## the Jewish Agency with attempting to tarn Palestine “into a death trap in which the Jews will be forced to surrender to England’s own Palestine scheme, or go down lighting for their very lives.” A statement issued “by a spokesman for the Agency ##eads as follows:

“The declaration of the British Foreign Office spokesman in London yesterday see page 4 of today’s Bulletin) that the United Nations plan for Palestine did not contemplate the creation of a Jewish militia is another step in a calculated program to obstruct and nullify the United Nations decision.

“The pretext that 45 percent of the population, in. the proposed Jewish state ##s Arab is shallow sophistry. Manifestly, if Arabs in the Jewish state are willing ##o enlist in the militia to be organized for its defense on the basis of the United ###ations decision, their services will be accepted. But their refusal to cooperate cannot render the entire plan, inoperative and makes effective Jewish defense even more urgent. Hence, speculation about the intentions of the Arabs and mathematical calculations about the composition of such a militia are obvious propaganda.“The British are trying to obscure the fact that the immediate organization and equipment of such a militia is imperative and that it was clearly authorized by the United Nations. The United Kingdom is apparently determined to do its utmost to block it.

“The effect of the British Foreign Off ice strategy is to render the Jews of Palestine defenseless. The United Kingdom’s program is in violation of its duties was a good member of the United Nations. While continuing on its own admission to supply arms to the Arab states, it at the same time denies them to the Jews. The British are attempting to turn Palestine into a death trap in which the Jews will be forced to surrender to England’s own Palestine scheme or go down fighting for their very lives.”