Experts in Arab affairs here voiced belief today that King Hussein intended to change the name of his kingdom to Palestine and establish his capital in the Jordan-held Old City of Jerusalem. The present capital of the Hashemite Kingdom is at Amman, a small desert city.
The name “Palestine” would strengthen Hussein’s claim to the non-Israeli portions of mandated Palestine now held by Jordan, and would also give him some claim to the Gaza Strip, the narrow southern coastal area held by Egypt.
(Reports from Casablanca, where the Arab League conference of foreign ministers ended yesterday, indicated that they had failed to reach any real agreement on the major proposals dealing with Israel, including the creation of an Arab force to guard the Arab-Israel borders and establishment of a “Palestine Government.” Decision on these issues was left to a subsequent meeting of the council next January.)
The Jordanians were believed to be concerned over various Egyptian-backed plans for formation of an Arab force to operate under Egyptian control in “protect” the Arab borders with Israel, and for formation of some kind of “Palestine Government.”
To prove that such a force was not necessary, it was indicated that the Jordanian Government was concentrating its troops along the Israel borders.
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