Zionists Anxious over U.S. Policy of “neutrality” at U.N. Session on Palestine

With the United Nations special session on Palestine opening on Monday, fear was expressed today in official American Zionist circles that the Jewish cause may suffer if the United States decides to follow a policy of “neutrality” and refuse to accept representation on the fact-finding committee which the U.N. General Assembly is to appoint.

Zionist leaders are especially concerned over a rumor that instructions have already gone forth from Washington to the American delegation at the United Nations to abstain from any move which might offend the Arabs. “There is danger that justice will be subordinated to oil and power politics,” a spokesman for the Zionist Organization of America stated.

Zionist circles expressed their belief that “at this very moment, there are once more powerful forces at work to nullify in practice the official policy of the U.S. government.” These forces, they said, are anxious for the U.S. representatives at the United Nations to adopt a “neutral” and “judicious” attitude rather than take the initiative. The same forces are charged by the Zionists with trying, “under the cloak of neutrality,” to exclude the United States from the U.N. fact-finding committee “and to have this country remain in the background while the Palestine issue is being buffeted.”

Pointing out that the stand of the U.S. government at the United Nations will be “the acid test of the sincerity” of the Administration and the State Department, American Zionist leaders said that the Jews look to the United States to take a positive stand “as the leading protagonist of the Zionist case.” The attitude taken by the U.S. Government will be decisive in rallying the support of many other nations, they pointed out.

ELIMINATION OF ARAB REPRESENTATIVE FROM STEERING COMMITTEE IS ADVOCATED

Several delegations at the United Nations are reported to be discussing the possibility of eliminating Syria from the 14-nation steering committee of the General Assembly, since this committee will be the first to rule on whether the Jewish Agency is to participate–without a vote–in the session. The same committee will also have to rule on the Arab demand for inclusion in the agenda of an item requesting the termination of the Palestine Mandate and the independence of Palestine.

The report of the steering committee is expected to lead to much debate on the floor of the Assembly. The committee is composed of its president, seven vice-presidents and chairmen of the six Assembly standing committees. It has been suggested that for the sake of neutrality, Syria be dropped from the committee and replaced by either Turkey or Iran, which, though they might be sympathetic with the Arab cause, would not be identified as pleaders for the Arabs, in the same sense as is Syria.

Warren R. Austin, American delegate to the U.N., today asked Dr. Oswaldo Aranha, of Brazil, that he permit his name to be presented for election as president