The Palestine government has instructed British consulates throughout the world to require a sixty-pound deposit from all tourists going to Palestine, even from first-class travelers hitherto exempt, it was learned here today.
ROTHENBERG’S STATEMENT
Morris Rothenberg, president of the Zionist Organization of America, yesterday said:
“Though the regulation still requires a deposit of sixty pounds by all Palestine tourists, nevertheless passport control officers or consuls in the United States have discretion to waive the deposit if they are definitely satisfied that applicants for visas are genuine tourists or are persons of means and in a position to qualify for capitalist immigration certificates.
“Arrangements are being effected so that the British consuls will accept the assurance of the Zionist Organization in bona fide cases of tourists, thus making the deposits unnecessary.”
DISCLAIMS DISCRIMINATION
The British Passport Officer in New York City Friday said that the sixty-pound deposit is required of all tourists. “There is no discrimination against Jews in this office,” he declared. “Only yesterday an Arab born in Palestine came here for a passport and was obliged to pay the deposit.”
He added that “we are allowed to make exceptions at our discretion, as in the cases of rabbis who can show credentials from their synagogues.”
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