Jewish Agency Discusses Plans for Establishment of Provisional Jewish Government

Plans for the creation of a provisional Jewish government for the projected Jewish state were discussed at a meeting of the Jewish Agency executive which has just completed its current session in Tel Aviv, it was learned here today.

Final approval of the plans have been held up pending the return of Eliezer Kaplan with a report on his negotiations in the United States for loans necessary to finance the Jewish state. The members of the executive also discussed the formation of a Jewish militia and turned the problem over to a group of military experts who will hammer out the details.

The ratification of an agreement for the merger of the Haganah and the Irgun Zvai Leumi into one Jewish defense force is expected within the next few days. The rightist Citizen’s Bloc, which includes the Revisionists, is known to favor the merger as do the Laborites, including allegedly Moshe Shertok and David Remez. The left-wing Hashomer Hatzair and the Tenua L’Achdut Avoda, which are slated to merge on Jan. 16, have expressed vigorous opposition to including the Irgun within the Jewish community’s defense organization.

Information from Arab circles indicates that there is a great deal of confusion among all sections of the Arab population in relation to the present “war” on the Jews. The moderates maintain that there is a strong possibility for peace between the Jews and the Arabs if a neutral power were to govern Palestine.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Fewzi el Kaukadji, one of the major leaders of the 1936-39 riots, to take command of the Arab guerrilla forces has been delayed because of reported opposition by the Mufti who is said to favor one of his many relatives, Abdul Khader Husseini, over Kaukedji who has recently been identified with the political forces of King Abdullah of Transjordan.