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United Nations Inquiry Body Hears Protests Against Military Rule in Nathanya

July 16, 1947
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The imposition of military control in Nathanya (##)as attacked today by representatives of the Jewish Communist Party of Palestine during cross examination before the United Nations Special Committee.

Dr. W.S. Ehrlich, appearing for the party whose main testimony was presented Sunday, asked the members of the committee to “imagine punishing Manchester in the (##)me way if there were two kidnappings there.”

Samuel Mikunis, chairman of the contral committee of the party, attacked England and Canada for giving refuge to “White Russians, fascists and former Nazis, while (##)hutting the doors in the face of Jewish victims of Fascism and Nazism.” When Miku(##)ls declared that “Canada takes (Gen. Wladislew) Anders’ bandits but keeps out the (##)ws,” Chairman Emil Sandstroem interrupted him. The Communist testimony was con(##)uded shortly thereafter.

The only other group to testify at the open session was the League for Arab-Jewish Rapprochement and Cooperation. With the scheduled testimony of the Histadruth and Moshe Shertok tomorrow, the Jewish case will be complete and UNSCOP’s probe here (##)ill draw to a close.

At a closed session earlier in the morning a delegation of the Sephardic com(##)mity, headed by Chief Rabbi Ben Zion Usiel, testified to the tragic situation of the Jews living in Arab countries under “constant threat of pogroms and extermination.”

During the delegation’s testimony, one of the Jews, Charles Sassoon, pointed (##) Indian delegate Sir Abdur Rahman and called Sandstroem’s attention to the fact that the Indian was asleep. The chairman directed the delegation to address all ap(##)als and questions to him. Rahman has been the most consistently hostile member of the commission.

Later, when Rahman awoke, another member of the Sephardic delegation, Eli (##)iashar, appealed to him to intervene with the Indian Government to halt the threat(##)ed deportation of some 300 Jews who fled persecution in Afghanistan.

The United Zionist-Revisionist Organization submitted a memorandum demanding (##)e immediate abrogation of the Mandate, evacuation of British troops and the estabishment of a Jewish provisional government which would hold office while the nation prepared to elect constitutional bodies. The memorandum rejected partition as a solution, asserting that it would be disastrous to both Jews and Arabs. It urged the establishment of a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan with the Arabs receiving (##)ll minority rights.

An authoritative UNSCOP source today revealed that four of the seven Arab (##)eague states have already accepted the committee’s invitation to testify. They are Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan and Lebanon. Replies are still expected from Yemen, Saudi (##)rabia and Syria. The committee has begun preparations to leave for Beirut during (##)he week-end where it will begin hearings on Monday.

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