The Jewish Agency tonight rejected the Palestine Government’s charge that it had “deliberately misrepresented” the government “concessions” on Jewish immigration.
The Agency statement declared that the “utter inadequacy” of the present rate of immigration was responsible for the increased flow of visaless immigrants. It also pointed out that if it had accepted Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin’s plan for the admission of 4,000 immigrants monthly for a two-year period, it would have had to agree to the Jewish community becoming a permanent minority in the country resulting in “its progressive strangulation.”
Last night the government issued a statement pointing out that it had granted the following “concessions” to relieve the tension in the country: 1. Extension of the monthly immigration quota of 1,500 vicas, despite the exhaucition of the 75,000 certifications autherized by the White Paper; 2. Permission to carry over unused quotas from month to month; and 3. Special consideration for the 800 immigrants shipwrecked several months ago on the island of Sirini, and the 1,200 visaless refugees who were intercepted in the harbor of La Spezia, Italy, just prior to their sailing for Palestine.
JEWS ACCUSED OF “UNSCRUPULOUSLY” ORGANIZING ILLEGAL ENTRY
Despite these “concessions,” the government stated, the Jewish institutions had “unscrupulously” persisted in organizing illegal immigration which had committed the immigration schedule for many months in advance. It also charged that among the visaless refugees were “considerable terrorist elements.”
At a press conference yesterday, Goldie Meirsen, political chief of the Jerusalem section of the Jewish Agency, asserted that “we have every proof” that martial law is a punitive measure against the Jewish community, despite various statements by the authorities to the contrary. “Otherwise,” she insicted, “it is unimaginable that 80 percent of the law abiding citizens’ are being subjected to such hardships and that industry and trade are being ruined and unemployment created.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
