The Arab press today publishes a statement issued by Emir Abdullah, ruler of Transjordan, emphasizing that he will resist any further Jewish immigration to Palestine when the quota of Jews permitted to enter under the British White Paper is filled. Only a few thousand Jews can still enter Palestine under the White Paper quota.
The statement by the Arab ruler coincided with a statement by David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency, in which he appealed for the admission to Palestine of more than a million surviving Jews in devastated Europe. “For these survivors it is a question of Palestine or death,” Ben-Gurion pointed out.
In insisting that Jewish immigration to Palestine be discontinued, Emir Abdullah is quoted as stating: “Trouble between Jews and Arabs is inevitable if Britain withdraws from Palestine, or if it fails to adhere to the terms of the White Paper. The Arabs are mobile. They have no nerve centers which can be knocked out, thus forcing them to cease fighting.”
Declaring that an agreement between Arabs and Jews is possible if Jewish immigration into Palestine is stopped, the Emir pledged in his statement that the Jews who are already in Palestine will be treated cordially by the Arabs and will be given “the honor and prestige their achievements warrant.”
Mr. Ben-Gurion in his appeal for the admission of more Jews emphasized that an Arab-Jewish agreement is possible provided that a Jewish State is established first. He pointed to the benefits which Arabs in Palestine derive from the Jewish development of the country and expressed the hope that the White Paper would be revised.
POLITICAL STRATEGY OF DR. WEIZMANN FINDS SUPPORT IN PALESTINE
The policy of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the Jewish Agency, who recently predicted here that there will be no Jewish State in Palestine for the next five or six years, was given full support today in a resolution adopted at the closing session of the annual conference of the Aliyah Chadasha, the second largest Jewish political party in Palestine which is composed of immigrants from Germany and central Europe.
The conference also adopted a resolution stressing the necessity of securing harmonious relations between Jews and Arabs on the basis of mutual recognition of rights. The conference rejected all suggestions that European refugees should return to their homelands after the war, and voiced opposition to any schemes for compulsory repatriation. The delegates called for abolition of the White Paper and maximum immigration and land settlement.
Industrial and trade circles expressed gratification today at the Palestine Government’s action removing controls on several articles. The new regulations were announced yesterday.
Financial circles hope that the easing of the import controls will result in lower prices, but point out that if, at the same time, the Government does not assist local industry to secure equipment and raw materials for export products, the new regulations may harm rather than benefit Palestine manufacturers.
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.
