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Jews in Egypt Uneasy As Tension Spreads over Palestine; Martial Law in Iraq, Egypt

May 16, 1948
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Jews throughout Egypt were today uneasy as the Palestine situation approached a climax with the proclamation of a Jewish state. Reports from Alexandria mentioned police preparations against possible mob violence.

In Alexandria also the police arrested a number of men who were posting ##acards in Arabic calling on the population not to work for Jews and to boycott Jewish shops. Police patrols were seen in every portion of the Jewish quarter of the city and guards were placed around synagogues and Jewish communal buildings.The state of siege which was announced yesterday by the Egyptian Government ##t into effect at midnight. The announcement followed a statement last night Abdel Razzagh el Sanhouri Pasha, Minister of Education, that “Egyptian Amy forces 1 begin moving across the Palestine frontier at one minute past midnight.”

From Bagdad came reports of the imposition of martial law in Iraq. In nit the police took special precautions to protect the Jewish areas of the city an attack by mobs.

In a statement reported from Damascus, King Abdullah stated that the Arabs declare that there exists no ground for the claim to independence by the Jewish affinity in Palestine.” Asserting that the preservation of the “Arab character of Palestine” cannot be challenged by intrusion in the sovereignty of Palestine,” the statement added: “We announce that it is the Palestine Arabs’ right to self determination by successful establishment of peace and security in. Palestine.”

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