Jewish, Labor, Liberal Groups Condemn British Attacks on Palestine Jewry’s Leaders

Jewish, labor and liberal groups in the United States and Canada joined today in expressing their strong condemnation of the British attacks upon the Jewish Agency and the Palestine Jewish community, which they pointed out was one of the most loyal allies of the democracies in the war.

Pointing out that American workers have “taken rightful pride in the heroic achievements of Jewish workers in Palestine,” Green called on the British Government to halt the “wanton destruction of what has been created with such unparalleled devotion. Peace cannot be restored in Palestine as long as the British Government fails to take action on the unanimous recommendation of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry that 100,000 homeless Jews be admitted without delay to Palestine,” he said.

The World Jewish Congress executive branded the arrests of Jewish Agency leaders as a violation of international law and an act of aggression against the whole Jewish people. “By means of this attack,” the Congress statement said, “the British Government is attempting to effect a unilateral evasion of the obligations which it had assumed under the Mandate.”

Pointing out that the Agency is the internationally recognized representative of the Jewish people in all matters concerning the re-establishment of the Jewish homeland in Palestine, the statement declared the British attack “stands condemned as a violation of international law at a time when the future of the world depends so much on the preservation of international law and the respect which the great powers especially should demonstrate for the rights of small peoples.”

The American Jewish Committee, in a statement issued by Jacob Blaustein and David Sher, chairmen of the executive and administrative committees, respectively, condemned the actions of the Palestine Government. Joining “with the responsible leaders of Palestine Jewry” in condemning terror, the Committee statement said that the only means of doing away with the unrest in Palestine was to admit the 100,000 Jews to Europe.

The United Zionist Council of Canada, representing all Zionist parties in the dominion, issued a statement condemning the “ruthless attack upon leaders of Palestine Jewry and the Jewish Agency.” Declaring that the British Government’s action is “shocking and disheartening to all of us,” the Council said: “For the opportunity offered His Majesty’s Government by the unanimous report of the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry there is now a ruthless attack upon the leaders of Palestine Jewry and the Jewish Agency who represent Jews all over the world in building up the Jewish National Home. The attack on the Jewish Agency seems to aim at silencing Palestine Jewry and, through the Jewish Agency, silencing the Jews of the world.”

Judge Morris Rothenberg, president of the Jewish National Fund in America, cabled a message to Dr. Abraham Granovsky, head of the J.N.F. in Palestine, asserting that American public opinion will clearly recognize the action of the British Government in Palestine as “an inexpressible mockery of Justice,” which permits the ex-Mufti to remain at large and throws members of the Jewish Agency into concentration camps.