Spirits were high among Jews in Jerusalem today as they decorated their streets in preparation for a joyous welcome to the members of the Constituent Assembly which will open its first session here on Monday.
Windows in all the buildings on the main streets will be draped with flowers ### Israeli flags and processions of children and adults have been arranged for Monday Special theatre performances, concerts and other entertainment’s will mark the ##eranings during the period of the Assembly’s session here.Renovation of the hall in which the opening session will take place was completed today. The hall will accommodate 500 persons. In addition to the 120 members of the Assembly, the opening session will be attended by members of the diplomatic ##d consular corps, heads of municipalities and local councils, defeated candidates for Assembly seats, prominent guests and 40 newspapermen.
The Assembly hall has been decorated with portraits of Theodore Herzl, as well as the Israeli flag and the newly-adopted official emblem. A special platform for the Presidium and members of the Provisional Cabinet has also been erected. President Chain Weizmann will open the session with a 30-minute address. The opening session is not expected to last longer than two hours. Eulogies for the victims of I?zi extermination and for Israeli troops who fell during the war will be delivered at the session.
Invitations to attend the session have already been accepted by Soviet Minister to Israel Pavel Yershov as well as by the Polish, Cuban, Danish, Norwegian and Spanish consuls. However, the U.S., British, French, Dutch and Belgian consuls have not yet replied to the invitations and are presumably awaiting instructions from their governments. According to high Israeli circles, they are apparently concerned that they may prejudice the question of Jerusalem’s internationalization by attending the Assembly session here. The French are particularly insistent on this point and have persuaded the others to adopt a “wait and see” attitude.
Israel did not invite members of the United Nations Palestine Conciliation to attend the Assembly session in order to spare them what might be a difficult decision. The Commission members are expected to leave for Jericho today from where they will continue to Cairo.
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