The entire Jewish community of Palestine cooperated with the government in its search for the kidnappers of two British civilians because the Jews “also felt outraged by the kidnappings, “Colonial Minister Authure Creech-Jones admitted today in Commone, during a full dress debate on the Palestine situation provoked by the Conservative, who charged the government with “weakness.”
Former Prime Minister Winaton Churchill called upon the government to take the strongest measures against the extremists in Palestine. “I hate this quarrel with the Jews, ” he said, “I hate their methods of outrage. But if you are engaged in the matter at least bear yourselves like men,” he declared, urging “if you are drawn into a quarrel, pugnacity and will power cannot be dispensed with.”
“We have broken our pledge to the Jews,” he continued. “Having found ourselves incapable of carrying out our promises, we have no right to say that we have to stay there for motives of honor.” He insisted that the responsibility for stopping “civil war” in Palestine ought to be borne by the United Nations. He reiterated earlier statements that unless the United States is willing to share the responsibility for Palestine with Britain, the latter should surrender the Mandate to the United Nations.
COLONIAL MINISTER SAYS FORCE WILL NOT INDUCE JEWS TO COOPERATE
Responding to goading from the Conservative benches, led by former Colonial Minister Col. Oliver Stanley, who cited the stay in execution granted Dov Gruner and accused the government of retreating before the terrorists, Creech-Jones replied that the government had not shown any weakness nor had it been deflected from its purposes in Palestine by terror. He warned, however, of the impossibility of uprooting terrorism unless the people cooperated with the government, adding that cooperation could not be obtained by military force. He declared:
“It is vital, if you are to uproot terrorism, you should have the cooperation of the people. Terrorism cannot be uprooted by military suppression alone. Military arms may play a part, but unless you get the goodwill of the people you cannot completely eradicate terrorism from any community.”
The Colonial Secretary said that the difficulty facing the British administration in Palestine was that it was not rooted in the lives of the people, and therefore it appears to the respective communities in the country that an alien government was imposing its administration upon them.
Stanley, who opened the debate, called on Britain to “clear out” of Palestine if the government could not re-establish order there. If order cannot be maintained, he asserted, Palestine will be turned into a “bloody hell for Briton, Jew and Arab alike.” He counteracted this suggestion with a warning that if Britain did withdraw, it would be a signal for a civil war, therefore the government must reestablish a “firm hand” and carry through a final solution of the issue.
STRESS TERRORISM FLOWS FROM FRUSTRATION OF PALESTINE JEWS
Barnett Janner and Samuel Silverman, both Laborites, declared that they abhorred terrorism, but pointed out that it arose as a direct result of the feeling of frustration of the Palestine Jews who were not permitted to extend a helping hand to their brethren in the DP camps of Europe. Silverman declared that it was futile to speak of a return of law and order to Palestine. “There has been no law in Palestine since 1938,” he said, adding that it is impossible for a government to carry on without the consent of the governed.
Richard Crossman, Laborite and former member of the Anglo American Committee on Palestine described the Irgunists as semi-fascists who are being fought tooth and nail by organized Palestine Labor. “We face the position where law and order can be restored only if the moderates are strengthened.” He stated that repressive governmental measures would produce a war which would lead to the destruction of the moderate element which “stood by England.”
Major Reginald Manningham-Buller, Conservative, who also served on the Anglo-American commission, backed Stanley’s charges that the government has had no policy on Palestine for the last 18 months. He said that the government was aware of the situation in November 1945, and had no need for the commission.Since the inquiry group had rendered its report, the government had continued to let the matter drift, he seated.
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