Israeli Boundaries Must Be Revised, Shertok Tells Zionist Actions Committee

The boundaries between Israel and the Arab state in Palestine as decided upon by the United Nations under the partition plan must now be reconsidered since the Arab-Jewish war has brought tremendous changes, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok told the Zionist Actions Committee here today.

The same is true with regard to Jerusalem, he declared. “The Jews,” he pointed out, “have agreed to put Jerusalem under international rule in order to save the city for the Christian world. However, since the Christian world did nothing to save it, and since any internationalization of the city would now practically mean handing over the holiest Jewish city into Arab hands, we will definitely and vigorously oppose any arrangement which will lead to the Arabization of Jerusalem.”

Outlining the Israeli policy with regard to the Arab refugees, Shertok told the Actions Committee that the war brought about a great change in the demographic constitution of Palestine. This change, he emphasized, suggests a separation of Jews and Arabs which might actually pave the way towards final and lasting understanding and cooperation between the two peoples and will avoid further disturbances as well as any threat to the Jewish state.

SAYS ISRAEL MUST MAINTAIN NEUTRAL FOREIGN POLICY

With regard to Israel’s foreign policy, the Foreign Minister of the Jewish state said that the Israeli Government must choose “a middle way” and must turn neither to the right nor to the left in order to maintain the most friendly relations with all states, including the Arab states.

New relationships must also be created between the world Zionist movement and the state of Israel, he declared. He expressed thanks to American Zionist leaders, especially to Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, Dr. Emanuel Neumann and Chaim Greenberg, for the great aid they gave to the struggle which resulted in the establishment of the Jewish state.

Premier David Ben Gurion, addressing the Actions Committee, warned the Zionist leaders against “false illusions,” despite the Israeli military victories and Jewish superiority in the Arab-Jewish war. “Only by mobilizing all our forces and by making the utmost financial and economic sacrifices can we withstand the assault of the six Arab states which, in the meantime, learned a lesson from their failures and are preparing for a final attack,” he cautioned.

Pointing out that the Arab-Jewish war has not yet ended, the Israeli premier said; “All victories will be useless unless the final victory is won. That victory is not yet in our hands. It will not be easy to win it unless we have the maximum support of all the Jewish people.”