The British Cabinet will decide tomorrow whether the Palestine issue should be brought before the United Nations, following a final meeting today between Foriegn Minister Ernest Bevin and leaders of the Jewish Agency. The meeting produced no results.
An official announcement said that Bevin told the Jewish representatives that he will inform the Cabinet of the results of the talks. Today’s meeting, which took place at Bevin’s initiative, was devoted to exploring the possibilities of continuing the discussions. It lasted about an hour, during which, it is understood, the Jewish leaders indicated that they did not intend to continue the talks unless Bevin is prepared to make concessions on his latest proposal. The Agency’s written rejection of the plan was not presented at the meeting.
Tomorrow’s Cabinet session will also have to decide whether British troops are to be withdrawn from Palestine pending a ruling from the United Nations. It was predicted today that Bevin will recommend that the troops remain in Palestine until after a U.N. decision. It was also forecast that he will recommend that the Palestine issue should not be brought to the United Nations before the meeting of the General Assembly in September.
The dicision of the Cabinet will be conveyed to the Arabs at a formal meeting of the Conference on Palestine and, simultaneously, to the Agency in London. Arab delegations were making preparations today to leave London following the meeting.
A statement on Palestine will be made in Parliament next week, it was announced today in the House of Commons. The statement will be followed by a general debate.
JEWISH AGENCY CONSIDERS BEVIN PLAN DEAD; WILL CONVENE ACTIONS COMMITTEE
Following today’s meeting with Bevin, Agency leaders indicated that they consider the Bevin proposal dead. A statement issued by Dr. Emanuel Neumann, American member of the Agency executive, said that the executive expects to meet next week to discuss the decision which the Cabinet will adopt tomorrow, after which the Zionist Actions Committee will be convened.
The Agency will start talks with the Colonial Office on temporary measures affecting Jewish interests in Palestine, including Jewish immigration and land purchase, Dr. Neumann said.
A Foreign Office spokesman today disclosed that the British Government had informed the United States of Bevin’s scheme after it was presented to the Jews and Arabs. He denied that Washington had communicated its views of the plan to the Foreign Office.
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