The United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission’s sub-committee on Jerusalem today heard Mayor Daniel Auster declare that “Jerusalem is indivisible” and “every foot of the city is dear and sacred to every Jew throughout the world.” Addressing the sub-committee for two hours, Auster asserted that the Jews will never accept separation of the Old City from the new and insisted that the Jews will also reject all plans for internationalization of the Holy City.
The Jerusalem official declared that the city must be incorporated into Israel, with free access guaranteed to the Holy Places to members of all religious groups. When Hussein Yaltchin, Turkish member of the Commission, noted that Israeli foreign Minister Moshe Sharet had agreed to internationalization of the Old City, Auster retorted: “I was not present at the time, but Jerusalem’s Jews will never accept this. It was they who defended the city against barbarous onslaught when the British-commanded Arab Legion besieged, shelled and starved Jerusalem and the whole world stood aside.”
Haj Amin el Huaseini, ex-Mufti of Jerusalem, in a cable addressed to the Commission, demanded that he be invited to the forthcoming meeting of Arab states in Beirut on an equal footing with all the Arab governments. The U.N. body replied, however, that it sees no reason to change its view expressed on March 3 when the Mufti was invited to appear before the Commission on the same basis as other non-governmental spokesmen.
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