Bitterness between British soldiers stationed in Palestine and the Jews is developing so fast that it is reported to be reaching “dangerous proportions.”
The soldiers are inclined to blame the Jews for their extended stay in the army now that the war is over. The Jews, on the other hand, appreciate that the soldier is merely carrying out orders, but they also realize that he represents a power which will be used in an attempt to force acceptance by the Jews of a policy they consider unacceptable.
A Jewish ex-serviceman who fought in the British army during the war was placed on trial today before a military court here on charges of printing and distributing a leaflet among British soldiers without the permission of the authorities.
The leaflet was in the form of an open letter addressed to British soldiers “Somewhere in Palestine.” This lone Jewish veteran had been handing it to British soldiers as they walked through the streets. The letter read as follows:
“Dear Friend: I have seen you in the street and felt like having a talk with you. I wondered whether you realized why you had been sent here. When soldiers are sent overseas, they naturally presume that it is to fight an enemy. It has occurred to me that someone maybe tried to tell you that I am your enemy. You must not believe it.”
Briefly the writer sketched the fate of Jews in Hitler’s Europe and the Jewish position on the White Paper and concluded. “We are not your enemies. We are only stretching forth our hands to give refuge to-the starving survivors of our people. Will you come between us?”
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.
