British Communists Favor Jewish National Home, Regret Release of Anti-zionist Pamphlet

The British Communist Party is not opposed to the development of a Jewish national home in Palestine and favors revision of the White (##)per immigration policy, a spokesman for the party’s executive told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today, expressing regret that an out-dated Communist pamphlet attacking Zionism was sent in reply to a request, last week, for an official statement of policy in Palestine.

Considerable interest was aroused in Jewish circles here as a result of the publication in the Zionist Review of the replies submitted by all British political arties to a questionnaire asking the groups to set forth their policy on Palestine. While the proposals for solution of the Palestine problem by the various parties differed, more expressed opposition to Zionism except the Communists, who submitted as their reply a pamphlet in which the Zionist program was assailed. This caused particular surprise in view of the recent conciliatory policy of the Communist Party in Palestine and Communists groups in other countries.

Explaining that the pamphlet had been submitted through an oversight, the Communist spokesman outlined his party’s present stand on Palestine as follows:

SAYS ARAB-JEWISH COOPERATION PREREQUISITE TO ULTIMATE INDEPENDENCE

The ultimate independence of the people of Palestine can be achieved only through cooperation between Arabs and Jews, with each fully recognizing the rights of the other, and with both working together for the fullest freedom for the whole people within the framework of the Atlantic Charter. The Communist Party endorses the recommendations of the recent World Trade Union Congress which said that “the Jewish People must be enabled to continue rebuilding its national home.”

The party favors consultations among Britain, U.S., France and the USSR to reach a solution of the Palestine problem, part of which should be an agreement on revision of the present immigration policy. It urges Jews and Arabs to make mutual concessions and to work together to build in Palestine joint democratic organizations to win democratic rights, expand trade unions and secure cooperation of the two peoples on all issues.

The Laborites in their reply to the questionnaire, reiterated their demand for creation of a Jewish state; the Liberals, generally, supported Jewish aspirations in Palestine; while the Conservatives expressed support of a solution “that would be just and fair not only to the Arabs and the Jews, but to the world.”

Replying to another section of the questionnaire, which was submitted by the Interuniversity Jewish Federation, all the parties agreed that vigilance must be maintained to combat anti-Semitism and safeguard equality of rights. The Communist Party added that it supported legislation outlawing racial discrimination.