Churchill Charges Britain with Getting into War with Jews to Give Palestine to Arabs

Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill today accused the British Government of involving itself in “a war with the Jews in order to give Palestine to the Arabs amidst world execration.”

He voiced this charge in a debate in Commons which followed the traditional opening speech by King George in which the future plans of the Labor government were outlined. The King, however, did not touch upon the Palestine issue.

“It is impossible to avoid expressing deep regret at the needless disappointment created throughout world Jewry over the failure of a Socialist government to fulfill promises made at a general election,” Churchill said. “If we cannot fulfill our promises to the Zionists, we should without delay place the Palestine mandate at the feet of the United Nations and give notice of our impending evacuation.”

Should the United States “deprecate” such a step, Churchill continued, it would be for it “to help us in every way, not only by money and men, but with the benefits of the joint policy of the two English-speaking peoples.”

Prime Minister Attlee said that he regretted Churchill’s reference to Palestine, since “no one knows better than he the very great difficulty. There has been no wobbling in this matter,” he continued. “We have been pursuing a policy in accordance with the mandate. We are bound by the mandate to have regard for both the position of the Jews and the Arabs, and have been striving earnestly for cooperation from the United States. It would be very ill advised for anyone in this debate to say anything that would exacerbate the situation in that country, particularly at a time when lives have been lost,” he concluded.

Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Morrison, a Labor Party spokesman, said that the omission of Palestine from the King’s speech, which was prepared for him by the Cabinet, was not surprising, since little can be said or done for that country until the Jews themselves put an end to the “senseless campaign of terrorism and murder.”

PARLIAMENT OPENING WITHOUT INCIDENT DESPITE RUMORS OF JEWISH “TERRORISM”

An estimated 5,000 police, reinforced by troops and Scotland Yard detectives guarded King George and members of the Cabinet against possible attacks by Jewish extremists which the press had warned might occur at the opening of Parliament, but there were no incidents. Spectators were not allowed to approach the government buildings and regular press passes were cancelled.

So far, however, there has been no confirmation of the wild stories, which continue to appear in the London press today, of “Jewish terrorists” threatening the lives of a multitude of key figures from Prime Minister Attlee down. Questioned last night at a party to mark the imminent opening of the new Parliament, Attlee denied that he had received any threats, adding “but then I don’t know how high up I am on their list.”