Jewish Agency Welcomes Unscop Report; Wants Shortest Possible Interim Period

Welcoming the report of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, although expressing the hope that certain of its recommendations would be modified by the General Assembly, Mrs. Goldie Meirson, political chief of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem, today urged that the interim period preceding independence for the Jewish state be as short as possible.

Mrs. Meirson appealed to both the United Nations and the Arab states to cooperate in securing a shorter transition period. She reiterated the desire of the Jews to maintain friendly relations with the Arab nations, and asked the Palestine Arabs to cooperate now in initiating “good neighborly” relations so that when the two states are established, a friendly treaty can be concluded without delay.

She paid high tribute to the efficiency and “deep insight” of the Committee, expressing regret that its report had not been unanimous. Mrs. Meirson said that she was particularly sorry that the Yugoslav delegation had supported the minority federation plan, which, she claimed, would mean an Arab state with a Jewish minority. She expressed the hope that the Yugoslav Government would support the majority plan at the General Assembly. Mrs. Meirson also voiced regret that UNSCOP had stated that a solution of the Palestine problem would not mean solution of the Jewish problem.

MEIRSON SAYS REPORT CONFIRMS THAT PARTITION IS ONLY SOLUTION

The Agency political spokesman commented that the recommendations of the Peel Commission ten years ago in favor of partition and UNSCOP’s report indicated that there was no other solution of the Palestine problem. She voiced regret that the Committee had failed to include Jerusalem in the Jewish state, pointing out that the Peel Commission had envisaged international or British control of only the old city of Jerusalem.

Mrs. Meirson termed a “sorrowful omission” the inclusion in the Arab state of Western Galilee, since it has a very small Arab population and makes little numerical difference to either the Arab or the Jewish state. Assigning this area to the Arabs would deny the Jews a common frontier with Christian Lebanon, “with whom we have always maintained good neighborly relations and which seemingly has neighborly feelings towards the Jews,” she added.

However, Mrs. Meirson concluded, it is hoped that the General Assembly “will rectify these wrongs.”

The UNSCOP recommendations were greeted with great satisfaction by the Yishuv, particularly the decision to admit 150,000 immigrants in the next two years. It is felt that implementation of this recommendation would hamper extremist activities. The Arab masses have been quiet, although their leaders have issued bitter statements attacking the report. (See story on page 3.)

(Full Text of Official Summary of UNSCOP Report Appears in Attached Supplement)