Although Dr. Chaim Weizmann will not represent the Jewish Agency at the United Nations during the special session of the General Assembly, the possibility of his acting as the Zionist spokesman when the next regular session of the Assembly is held in September has not been ruled out, it was learned today.
It now appears that Dr. Weizmann was asked by the Agency executive to go to New York and speak for the Zionists at the special Assembly, but declined on the ground that he was unable to do so on the short notice given him. However, he did not exclude the possibility of appearing before the U.N. in September.
Meanwhile, David Ben Gurion, chairman of the Agency executive, left for New York today to join the Zionist delegation which has been invited to appear before the U.N. Political and Security Committee. The official invitation from Dr. Oswaldo ### president of the Assembly, was received today by the Agency and forwarded to its representatives in New York for a reply.
Commenting on the decision of the Political Committee to invite the Arab Higher Committee to testify, an Agency spokesman said that “the Arab states themselves undermined both the logic and justice of the demand for a Palestine Arab representation–in fact, the Arab Higher Committee, when and if it is heard, will be nothing but a sixth Arab voice pushing in the same direction.”
Referring to the Agudas Israel’s request for an independent hearing by the Political Committee, the spokesman said that the Agency “regarded it as a pity that there be a separate approach, and we regret it particularly since it is additional proof of the abnormality of the Jewish situation in the world.”
PALESTINE JEWS SHOCKED BY U.S. SUPPORT OF BRITAIN
Replying to a question, he said that the Jewish community is generally pleasantly surprised by the Soviet Union’s stand at the U.N., but added that this cannot be taken in any sense as “something political.”
The average Jew here has been more articulate than the Agency in describing his reaction to the U.N. sessions. Most Jews are shocked and disappointed at America’s lining up with Britain in opposing a full hearing for the Jews. They interpret the U.S. stand as evidence that power politics are the dominant factor at the U.N., and that American fear and suspicion of Russia are sufficient to compel the U.S. to follow the British line.
The Soviet insistence that all Jewish bodies be heard surprised the Jews only to the extent that they feel that normally and morally it should have been the other way around: America insisting on a fair hearing for the Jews; and Russia, avowedly anti-Zionist, opposing it. Their gratification at Russian support is tempered, however, by the acute awareness of basic Russian policy towards Palestine–which has as its number one objective getting the British out by any means.
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