Discussions on Composition of Temporary Jewish Government Open in Tel Aviv

Discussions among various political parties in Palestine concerning the composition of the temporary Jewish government opened today in Tel Aviv.

The first proposal submitted to the parley by the Jewish Agency was that the 30-man Provisional Council of Government should consist of ten Agency members living in Palestine, 16 members of the Jewish National Council, and one each from the Revisionists, Citizens Bloc, Communists and Sephardic community.

It was also suggested that the number of ministers with portfolios should be set at ten. The opposition parties, however, proposed that the Government Council be elected according to the parties’ strength in the last Zionist Congress and in the Jewish National Assembly.

PALESTINE GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO GIVE $1,200,000 TO ARAB COUNCIL

The Palestine Government suddenly announced today that it will give $1,200,000 to the Supreme Moslem Council in one lump sum “because of the pressing needs of the Council.” This money, a government communique said, should have been paid to the Arab body in 1942.

The announcement came as a surprise to the Jews not only because of the government decision to supply the Arabs with a large sum of money, but also because of the fact that the Palestine administration suddenly remembered that it “owes” the Moslem Council a long-forgotten debt. The money will, no doubt, be spent to strengthen Arab violence against Jews, since the ex-Mufti is still in control of the Council.

It has been known here for some time that the Palestine Arab Higher Committee has been passing through a severe financial crisis since the departure of many wealthy Palestine Arabs who fled the country following the outbreak of hostilities. The bulk of the money which the Government now is making available to the Council will actually be coming from the Jewish community, since three-quarters of the government budget is contributed by Palestine’s Jews.