In the strongest measure yet taken by the Jewish community to curb terrorism, the Jewish National Council today adopted a resolution calling on Palestine Jewry to resist terror by force if necessary.
Adoption of the resolution came after vigorous statements by David Remez, chairman of the National Council, and Goldie Meirson, head of the political department of the Jerusalem section of the Jewish Agency, in which they warned that not even the threat of civil strife will deter the leadership of the Yishuv from combatting the extremists, if they continue their present activities.
“The Zionist movement disapproves of murder, and the shedding of the blood of innocents as a means of political struggle, and the Yishuv will forcibly oppose acts of domination and blackmail through terror,” Remez said. “We will defend ourselves, by force if necessary, against the extortion of money from shopkeepers to fill terrorist coffers, against compelling teachers and pupils to join in terrorist work, against threats to Jewish policemen and against forcing the drives of taxis and other cars to assist terrorists.”
“We do not want civil war, we do not want brotherly strife in the Yishuv,” he continued, “but there is no justification to add an internal struggle to the external struggle to which we are exposed. We hope our sincere appeal for unity and authority will be headed and adhered to.”
REMEZ URGES BRITISH TO END PROVOCATIONS AND DEPORTATIONS
At the same time, Remez stressed, the Jewish community is antitled to demand that “those who are inviting us to London for talks on a real solution of the Palestine problem conduct these talks without provocative acts by the authorities, without the deportation of immigrants, and without imposing responsibility upon the entire Yishuv for acts of groups or individuals.” He warned “the people of Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union and all the other nations” that “we will not allow the Jewish people to be sacrificed as the price for the victory of the democratic world.”
Mrs. Neirson, who devoted most of her address to a review of the political situation, told the extremists: “We call on you once more–stop terrorism now or we will stop you by force.” She added that “we cannot continue to live in a state in which small groups decide what is to be the policy of the nation–groups guilty of extortion, intimidation of children, robbery at pistol point and the murder of innocent persons.”
The basis for the forthcoming talks between the British Government and Zionist leaders would be the demand for free immigration and settlement, which can be achieved, she said, by the establishment of a Jewish state. The present rate of immigration, she stated, represented a virtual stoppage of immigration, emphasizing that no responsible Jewish institution could tell the Jews in the DP camps that they. must wait still longer. She assured the Council that any decisions taken as a result of the London talks would be made only by a full meeting of the Agency executive.
The action by the Council followed an Irgun broadcast last night, in which the underground organization warned that “Palestine will not be quiet and illegal immigration will not be stopped.” The broadcast accused Mrs. Meirson and other Agency leaders of favoring partition, and ridiculed their pleas for peace “while they go to London to carry out partition.”
Meanwhile, in a conciliatory move, the Palestine Government has ordered commutation to life imprisonment of the death sentence imposed by a military court several weeks ago on Dov Gruner, an Irgun member who participated in a raid on a police barracks at Ramath Gan last April, it was learned today. An official announcement of the commutation is expected tonight or tomorrow.
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.
