A declaration of Arab-Jewish parity was proposed today by Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, in a cable to its General Council special political committee, which is meeting here.
He urged issuance of a statement, it was learned, which would place the Zionists on record in favor of parity between the two communities both now and if the Jews should become a majority.
Issuance of such a declaration was opposed by prominent members of the committee, including M. M. Ussishkin, chairman and Joshua Suprassky.
Organization of Jewish self-defense against Arab aggression was demanded by Meer Grossman, head of the Jewish State Party.
Declaring that neither the Council nor the special committee was empowered to formulate new Zionist principles, he held that disarmament of the Arabs, emphasized yesterday by David Ben-Gurion, was not a major issue.
Postponement of the British Royal Commission’s investigation of the disorders in order to organize appearances before it was urged by Mr. Grossman. Establishment of a permanent political body to cooperate with the Jewish Agency for Palestine was also recommended.
N.Z.O. HITS ARMY POLICY ON DISARMING
The New Zionist Organization protested against the army’s new policy of permitting Arab rebels voluntarily to lay down their arms without submitting to search and return to their normal activities.
The protest held that this constituted official sanction to Arab armament and made possible storage of large quantities of arms at a time, the statement added, when the authorities were refusing to permit Jewish self-defence.
The policy is in opposition to Great Britain’s international obligations, the statement declared, holding that it endangered the Jews’ position in Palestine and appealing for the world’s intervention.
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.
