Measures to prevent disturbances in Palestine were mapped here today at a special conference of all district police superintendents under the chairmanship of Inspector General Rymer-Jones, head of the Palestine police force.
The district police superintendents were summoned to Jerusalem following the publication yesterday in the Official Gazette of forty new security regulations aimed at maintaining peace in the country. These regulations include most of the special war-time restrictions which were valid for the war period only.
As the police were meeting, an unknown youth shot and killed a British constable near the Tel Aviv post-office. The policeman, named Barry, was escorting an official of the Post Office who was returning from a bank with a payroll of $16,000. They were accosted by the youth who was armed with a pistol, and ordered to raise their hands above their heads. The postal official disragarded the command and fled toward the post office, as several shots were fired. The constable was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
The Jewish National Council of Palestine and the Zionist Actions Committee today issued a joint proclamation appealing to the British people and the entire civilized world "to prevent a calamity" and to open the doors of Palestine to large-scale immigration of surviving Jews from Europe. Immigrants will stream to Palestine by all means," the manifesto warned, emphasizing that the Jews in this country will never submit to-decrees which will prevent Jews from entering Palestine.
WEIZMANN MAY RESIGN AS PROTEST AGAINST BRITISH POLICY
The proclamation was issued at the conclusion of an emergency conference attended by all members of the Jewish National Council and by 150 members of the Zionist Actions Committee, which is the supreme governing body between meetings of the World Zionist Congress. The conference, at which all speakers sharply criticized British policy in Palestine, elected a committee to formulate demands which will be presented to the Palestine administration.
Addressing the conference, Bernard Joseph, legal adviser of the Jewish Agency, revealed that Dr. Chaim Weizmann may possibly resign the presidency of the Agency as an expression of protest against the British Government’s policy. He said that Zionist hopes are now centered on the talk Dr. Weizmann had this week with Secretary of State James F. Byrnes who is now in London attending the conference of foreign ministers.
Mr. Joseph reported that several recent meetings between leaders of the Jewish Agency in London and Colonial Secretary George Hall have been completely without results. The Agency is not aware of the existence of a "small cabinet committee" to deal with the Palestine issue, as was reported by Reuters, and was not consulted at any stage by the British Government. Pro-Jewish members of the cabinet and persons close to it have been uttering conflicting, sympathetic, vague promises, he said. Some of them promise that there will be no unfavorable decision on the Palestine question, while others declare that President Truman’s letter requesting the admission of 100,000 Jews to Palestine may change the situation by paving the way for greater American participation in solution of the problem.
ARABS ASKED TO STRIVE FOR HONORABLE ARAB-JEWISH AGREEMENT
The central committee of the Hashomer Hatzair, the Jewish Socialist League, today issued a call to Arab workers, peasants and intelligentsia urging them "not to be misled by provocations" and asking them "to strive for an honest and honorable agreement between Arabs and Jews." The League also urged the Jewish defense forces "to prevent any hooligan provocations on the part of Jewish fascist groups."
The full text of the proclamation issued by the emergency conference of the Jewish National Council and the Zionist Actions Committee members reads as follows:
"The Jews of Palestine Learned with grave apprehension of the disturbing reports that the British Government is considering a plan with regard to Palestine based on the White Paper and drastic restriction of Jewish immigration. The British labor Party which recently came to office condemned the White Paper as a breach of faith to the Jewish people and a violation of Britain’s international obligations. They concurred with the view of the permanent Mandates Commission that the White Paper was incompatible with the Palestine mandate.
"Nevertheless, the White Paper policy is still being enforced, and there are, as yet, no signs of its abrogation. Failure to open the gates of Palestine in this dreadful period of the life of the Jewish people is tantamount to imposing a death sentence upon Jewish survivors of Nazi massacres and those still suffering in concentration camps. The vast majority see their only salvation in a new life within their ancient homeland, Palestine.
"Failure to grant the request of the Jewish Agency for a first installment of 100,000 certificates to afford immediate though partial relief, deprives the Jewish remnants of their last hope. Discriminatory regulations prohibiting Jews from purchasing land are still in force, even though the Labor Party censured the Chamberlain Government.
"The Labor Party’s last conference recognized the right of the Jewish people to become a majority in Palestine and the White Paper condemns them to remain a permanent minority. Not only the Labor Party, but also the Liberals, as well as many outstanding Conservatives including Winston Churchill, opposed the White Paper and pledged their support to the Zionist cause.
JEWS WILL KEEP PALESTINE GATES OPEN FOR EUROPEAN SURVIVORS
"At this fateful time, the Jews of Palestine earnestly appeal to His Majesty’s Government, to the British people and to the entire civilized world to prevent a calamity. Let the White Paper be annuled. Let the gates of Palestine be opened to largescale Jewish immigration.
"The Jews of Palestine declare their opposition with all their might, and will never submit to the White Paper decrees. Jewish immigrants will stream to Pales- tine by all means. The Jewish people throughout the world will help their brethren, and the Jews of Palestine will open Palestine’s gates to their fellow-Jews who long to return to their homeland. The Hebrew "Book of Books" will destroy the White Paper. The Jewish will for redemption will defeat the White Paper’s intent. The Jewish people will rebuild their national independence within their ancient land. A Jewish State will be established."
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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.
