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Arab Congress Demands Independent State

October 11, 1938
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Abolition of treaties between Arab countries and Great Britain if London does not accept Arab demands on Palestine has been proposed by Deputy Buchoda of the Egyptian Parliament to 2,500 Arabs from ten countries attending a Pan-Arab Congress on Palestine under the auspices of the Egyptian Parliamentary Committee for Palestine. The proposal was opposed by the Iraq delegate, who asserted that it was impossible to fight England and declared that a policy of persuasion was needed.

a plenary session discussed several proposals regarding the holy land, including a plan submitted by fares bey khoury, christian arab of Syria and vice-president of the congress with the approval of the exiled ex-mufti of jerusalem, that an arab government be established in Palestine, similar to those in Iraq and Syria, allied with Britain by treaty, that the problem of the Jewish minority be solved by the Arab government and that the Balfour Declaration and the Palestine mandate be denounced as illegal.

The ex-Mufti, who organized the Arab Supreme Committee which conducted the Palestine general strike of 1936, has not appeared at the congress, reportedly because the authorities in Lebanon, where he has found refuge, would not permit him to come here. His nephew, Jamalel Husseini, submitted a motion that the congress proceed behind closed doors, on the ground that it was useless to publicize its plans, and after debate the motion was adopted.

The opening of the congress Friday was featured by violent attacks against Britain and the Jews by Mohammed Ali Allouba, former Egyptian Minister of Education and president of the Parliamentary Committee on Palestine, who opened the session; Mokhless Pasha of Iraq and khoury, who called Britain a friend of the Jews. Barakat, Speaker of the Egyptian Chamber of Deputies, was elected president of the congress. The speeches were delivered from a tribune which was picturesquely installed under a huge tent.

Chief Rabbi Haim Nahum Effendi left for Alexandria yesterday to confer with King Farouk, presumably in connection with the congress.

The Egyptian newspapers published editorials declaring unanimously that although the Egyptian people sympathized with the Palestine Arabs they entertained the friendliest feelings toward the Jews of this country. They pointed out that the oriental Jews had often disavowed Zionism.

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