Rosh Hashanah Passes Quietly in Palestine; Prayers Offered for U.N. Success

Rosh Hashanah passed more quietly this year than in many recent years with no extremist action against the government.

The political situation was fairly calm as the attention of Palestine Jewry was directed primarily at the United Nations General Assembly which opened its third regular session in New York, the session at which it is hoped the Palestine problem will be solved. As contrasted with the previous year when many Jewish Agency and Jewish National Council leaders were imprisoned, only Mayor Oved Ben Ami of Nathanya and about 40 Revisionist leaders were still under detention.

Although the dissident groups announced that they would not and had not undertaken any attacks against the army or government, sirens shattered the peace of Jerusalem three times during the two-day holiday. It was officially stated that explosions had occurred, but in view of the fact that the scenes of the blast were never identified, it was believed that the explosions were the work of provocateurs seeking to create the impression that violence threatened Palestine as the U.N. considered its case. The inhabitants of the city generally referred to the alerts as “false alarms.”

Thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the country flocked to Jerusalem to participate in the religious services in the many synagogues of the Holy City. At the Wailing Wall and in all synagogues special prayers were offered for the Exodus refugees. In some temples prayers were offered for the reaching of a favorable solution of the Palestine issue before the U.N.

Eliahu Hodes, 18-year-old youth who was abducted on Sept. 10, was returned home unharmed on the eve of the holiday. It was earlier reported that he was kidnapped by Haganah agents seeking information concerning extremist activities.

A senior British army officer was shot and killed Monday by a gang of armed Arab bandits operating south of Hebron.