Partition of Palestine Predicted; British Press Wants “middle-of-road” Solution

The possibility that the Anglo-American inquiry committee on Palestine may recommend the partition of Palestine as a middle of the road solution of the Arab-Jewish problem was suggested by the London Times, in commenting on last weeks Palestine debate in the House of Commons.

The Times quotes former Colonial Secretary Col. Oliver Stanley, who, in the course of the debate, declared that both the Jewish and the Arab cases were equally good. The editorial asserted that whatever solution the inquiry group recommends, it must fulfill two conditions — enable Jews and Arabs to live side by side in amity, and convince public opinion in the United Nations of its inherent fairness and equity. “If the Zionist remedy of unrestricted immigration to Palestine constitutes a threat against the Arabs, then the Arab proposal to prohibit Jewish immigration is equally unjust, besides being particularly offensive to Jewry,” the editorial said.

The Manchester Guardian, commenting on the debate, said that at least it proved that the people of Britain have not forgotten the “unfortunate Jews, who, after all their sufferings still wait and hope for deliverance.” The newspaper also declared that the debate was badly timed, and attacked Colonial Minister George Hall for denying any knowledge of the importation of Nazi war prisoners to Palestine.

The Daily Telegram pointed out editorially that while the debate added nothing new to the “painful and dangerous” controversy, it showed an awareness on the part of all speakers of the seriousness of the issues involved. The Telegraph also supported Col. Stanley’s statement as a “middle of the course” solution.