An extraordinary meeting of the Arab League Council to discuss the U.N. decision in favor of partition in Palestine will take place in Cairo Dec. 12, it was announced here while Arabs in all the Arab nations of the Middle East demonstrated in protest against the decision.
In Beirut a mob of some 10,000 Arab students stoned the American Information office and the French Legation. In Beirut and Cairo, students carried banners and ##outed slogans to the effect that “fire and steel is the only language Zionists understand.” The Egyptian demonstrators also shouted: “Down with the United Nations.” They demanded that they be given arms.
The Jewish quarter of Beirut was placed under armed guard to keep out possible attackers. In both the Lebanese and Egyptian capitals Jewish shops were generally closed and Jews remained indoors.
King Abdullah’s government of Transjordan called extraordinary sessions of both houses of the legislature for tomorrow. A three-day general strike in sympathy with the Palestine Arabs starts tomorrow.
In Amman, capital of Transjordan, two American newspapermen, one a woman, were rescued from a threatening mob by a British army major. Two American school teachers ##rricaded themselves inside a school when demonstrators attempted to attack them. two trucks belonging to the American-Arabian Oil Company were set afire.
A school operated by the British Church Society was raided and the children were forced to join the demonstrators. In other parts of the city excited ##ands of school children, in a carnival mood and waving flage, swarmed through the streets.
The call for the extraordinary session of the Arab League was issued by Abdul ##hman Azzam Pasha, secretary-general, after telephone consultation with the Prime Ministers of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt. Earlier during the day, he called on King Farouk. At a press conference announcing the meeting, Azzam Pasha reiterated his threat of military force to halt partition. “I cannot say where and when I will place my troops. I can only say we will fight,” he asserted.
PARTITION VOTE ROUSES FEARS AMONG 50,000 JEWS
The U.N. partition vote is virtually the only subject of discussion among the 50,000 Jews in Egypt, who feel that their position is now very precarious despite reported government measures to “protect Jewish lives and property.” It is feared that the fanatic Moslem Brotherhood will incite attacks against the Jewish population.
Although pro-government papers continue to draw a distinction between “Zionists” and “Jews,” it is recalled that Azzam Pasha, commenting last week on what might occur in Arab countries if partition were adopted, said that in the event of trouble in Palestine or neighboring countries, the Arabs will find it difficult in the confusion to determine who is a Zionist and who is not.
Egypt will continue to recognize Palestine as a united Arab country and will “take every possible step to realize this aim,” Premier Nikrashy Pasha told the Chamber of Deputies here tonight. He made this statement after Ali Bey Ayoub, vice-chairman of the Chamber, had referred to the United Nations Assembly as “unauthorized” to take the decision it had on the partition of Palestine.
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.
