The Jews of Palestine are skeptical of Britain’s intentions in referring the Palestine issue to the United Nations and are wondering whether the recently announced U. S. policy on Greece and Turkey will be extended throughout the Middle East including Palestine, Dr. Abbs. Hillel Silver, president of the Zionist Organization of America and head of the American section of the Jewish agency, declared today upon his arrival at LaGuardia Field from Palestine. Dr. Silver left for his home in Cleveland a few hours later.
“The British officers and men in Palestine have no heart for the dirty work. Sevin has assigned to them — that of driving helplens men, women and children away from the shores of the Jewish national home the British Labor Party endorsed so enthusiastically three months before it took office, “Dr. Silver said.
“There is widespread skepticism among the Jews of Palestine as to the real intentions of the British Government in referring the Palestine issue to the United Nations. They know Mr. Bevin’s record of calculating delay by means of which he hopes to break the morale of the refugees who are waiting to go to Palestine and thereby force them to scatter and seek haven elsewhere. He is also playing for a rift in the solidarity of the Jews of Palestine and of the world in the hope of maneuvering them into two opposing camps of ‘moderates’ and ‘extremists’ and to use the former to liquidate Zionism by establishing a little Jewish ghetto in Palestine, while retaining for Great Britain actual control of the country indefinitely.
“There is also considerable speculation as to America’s recently announced program with reference to Greece and Turkey,” the Zionist leader pointed out. “They wonder whether that involves a new American foreign policy with reference to the entire Middle East including Palestine. If so, they ask whether it would really be an American policy or merely an underwriting of British imperial policy and interests.
“There is a great urgency for a clear enuciation of America’s true position with reference to Palestine. They ask me if Secretary of State Marshall intends to follow Bevin or whether he will follow the line enunciated time and time again by the Presidents of the United States and the Congress of the United States,”
Answering questions by reporters, Dr. Silver refused to predict the outcome of the Palestine question before the United Nations, pointing out that it was a new agency and that there were no precedents upon which he could guide his forecast. He added that the Zionists would prepare their case as fully as possible.
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