Reconstruction Plan Means Ghetto for Jews in an “anglo-arab State,” Ben-gurion Says

The post-war reconstruction plan for Palestine as announced yesterday by Palestine’s High Commissioner, resulted in a severe attack today on the British Government by David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency.

Analyzing the plan before a session of the Assefath Hanivcharim, the Jewish National Assembly, Ben-Gurion warned the gathering that “the Jewish future in Palestine is in grave danger.” He charged the British Government with plotting to make Palestine “an Anglo-Arabic State with a Jewish ghetto” in which Jews will not be safe.

“The gift presented to us in the form of the post-war reconstruction plan must be considered with great care,” he said. He expressed resentment at the fact that the High Commissioner of Palestine did not mention in his broadcast yesterday that the Jews have brought prosperity to the entire country. “Only a Jewish administration is able to carry out the post-war reconstruction of Palestine for the benefit of much-suffering Jewry as well as for the local population.” he declared.

JEWS WILL NOT COOPERATE UNLESS WHITE PAPER IS ABOLISHED

The outline of the projected plan, given by the High Commissioner yesterday, provoked much unfavorable comment among Jewish leaders here since it emphasized the needs of the Arabs who, the High Commissioner said, “are less provided for” than the

“We shall be compelled to finance reconstruction which is not for us,” Ben-Gurion added. He challenged the part of the plan dealing with post-war agricultural reconstruction. “It is erroneous to think,” he said, “that there is not sufficient land in Palestine. There is plenty of uncultivated land, What the country needs is people to cultivate it as well as Jewish immigration.”

Reviewing the general attitude of the Palestine Government towards the Jews, Ben-Gurion said: “From the beginning of the war we declared this war to be our war despite the blow of the White Paper. We offered full assistance to England, but the Chamberlain regime declined it. Then came the land restrictions robbing us of equality before the law, and making this the only spot in the British Empire where racial discrimination was introduced.

“Then another blow came – for the first time under English rule 1,600 horror-stricken Jewish refugees who escaped from Hitler’s sword were expelled from the Jewish homeland to a distant island where many of them died. We don’t forget such things. We would not be worth human honor if we would have forgotten them. We also do not forget the aid we have given to England when under conditions of war we helped to increase the area under cultivation and established many war industries.”

Ben-Gurion concluded his address with the warning that Jews will fight the White Paper policy of the British Government “to the very end.” He expressed the hope that Jews in the United States and other democratic countries will lend their maximum aid to this fight.