The Zionist leadership expects Britain’s new Palestine policy to follow the lines of its final proposals at the Palestine conference — establishment of an independent state with Jews restricted to a minority status after a transitional period of indefinite duration — which were rejected by both Arabs and Jews, it was indicated today.
Moshe Shertok, head of the Jewish Agency’s political department, asserted that it was now necessary to separate external conditions under which Zionism had hitherto worked, such as the Balfour Declaration, British rule in Palestine and the mandate, from Zionism itself, which movement, he said, depended entirely on Jewish national will. Zionists do not face complete liquidation of the promises made to them and of all political rights, but certainly have come to the end of a chapter, Mr. Shertok declared, addressing the second annual conference of the B’rith Hechalutz.
Continuation of Zionist work is morally justified, he said, because if the Jewish right to go to Palestine is denied the Jews are doomed as a national entity, while if the Arab right of exclusive domination of Palestine is denied, the Arabs do not lose the opportunity of self determination.
According to Reynolds News, the Government’s plan on Palestine is being kept secret in view of the new intensive campaign of the Fascist powers to undermine British authority in Palestine. It is feared that the opposition of Jews and Arabs when the White Paper is published will be used by interventionists to create new incidents. The Palestine garrison is being strengthened and efforts are being made to stop the influx of German and Italian arms to Arabs in the Holy Land, the newspaper stated. Information reaching the Colonial Office points to the work of German experts cooperating with Arab bands in the manufacture of bombs, explosive mines and other armaments, it was said.
Secret service men paid by Germany and Italy are continually superintending gun-running, the report asserted. Arab clubs formed in Berlin, Damascus, Beirut and Cairo, run by Germans, are training young Arabs in anti-British propaganda. Nazis are #### Arab newspapers in the Near East and copies are smuggled into Palestine.
A warning that Palestine is one of the acid tests by which Americans judge the sincerity of British claims to be apostles of liberty, democracy and civilization was sounded by Palestine, weekly organ of the British Palestine Committee.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
