A group of 820 Jewish refugee immigrants arrived here today from Cyprus aboard the immigrant ferry Pan Crescent, The former detainees revealed that at the last minute 600 other Jews, member of the various families aboard the Pan Crescent, were prevented from leaving by the British authorities. The British said that the 600 were “capable of bearing arms” and would therefore not be released during the truce.
The British-owned Shell refinery here resumed operations today, following orders from the Israeli Government, after it had been closed more than three months ago on the advice of the British Mandatory authorities. Israeli armed forces have moved into the refinery compound to take over the protection of the installations as well as the private radio transmitter, which hitherto had been operated by the Shell company without supervision, providing uncensored communication with Amman, the Transjordan capital, and with Tripoli, Lebanese seaport. Israeli officials have not levelled any accusations of misuse of the transmitter against Shell officials, but they have made the point that the existence of a privately-owned transmitter in a sovereign state during wartime is an “impossible incongruity.”
Approximately 60,000 Arabs remain in the area extending from Acre on the Mediterranean coast to the Nazareth district in Lower Galilee, and consider themselves citizens of the state of Israel, it was learned today. The Nazareth district is held by the Israeli forces, but it is in that part of Galilee which the U.N. partition plan assigned to the Arabs.
Behor Shitreet, Israeli Minister of Minorities, visited Nazareth and Acre yesterday and conferred with Christian and Moslem leaders. “At Nazareth he discussed with the Mayor, the chief magistrate and representatives of the Arab unions arrangements for the continuation of normal activities under the military occupation. At Acre, he received a committee of religious loaders in the presence of the Israeli area commander to consider measures to improve local conditions.
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.
