Declaring that “upon a nod from Churchill, the curtain was rung down” on the Palestine Resolution in the last Congress, Rep. Emanuel Celler, New York Democrat, today re-introduced the controversial legislation.
Like the measure introduced last week by Rep. James P. Geelan, Connecticut Democrat, the resolution is in the original form, without the amendments made by the Foreign Affairs Committee before it approved the bill last session. It calls for the fullest colonization in Palestine to the end that the Jewish people may ultimately reconstitute Palestine as a free and democratic Jewish Commonwealth.
Celler said the need for action by the Congress of the United States was highlighted by the recent action of the Turkish Government to prevent the transit of Jews seeking refuge in Palestine by way of Turkey. The Turkish Government emphasized, Celler said, that it had no choice in the matter “because of the adamant attitude of the British Colonial Office and the Palestine Administration in its refusal to issue Palestine immigration certificates.”
According to Celler’s office the Congressman acted independent of official Zionist circles, which have not yet indicated whether they will press for action until the State Department withdraws its opposition.
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