A warning to the Palestine government that it will be responsible for any malaria epidemic that may break out in the country because it refuses to cooperate with the Vaad Leumi, the Jewish National Council of Palestine, was made public here in an official communique by the Vaad Leumi.
The communique discloses that the health department of the Palestine government has ignored recommendations made by the Vaad Leumi to combat malaria. A special Vaad Leumi commission visited the areas threatened by malaria and worked out a plan for anti-malaria activities. However, the health department of the government rejected offers of cooperation by the Vaad Leumi.
PLACES RESPONSIBILITY
A protest lodged by the Jewish group with the chief secretary of the Palestine government, makes it clear that the Jewish population of Palestine will consider the government responsible for any outbreaks of the epidemic in the areas threatened by malaria.
The protest states:
“We had intended to discuss with the Director, Medical Services, at the interview he gave our representatives on April 10, 1935, the position in the settlements and the mode of cooperation with the department of health in their anti-malaria work; also, we intended to seek information on the activities of the department in his sphere.
“But we regret to have to say that the Director refused to give our representatives, Dr. Katznelson and Prof. Kligler, who appeared before him, any information on the plans and activities of that department, and confined himself to the brief statement that ‘the government did its duty, and it is for the Committees of the settlements to do theirs, i.e., to provide the money and the labor, failing which malaria will spread and they will be held responsible therefore.’
“Our joint discussions on the situation which we regarded as essential for the coordination of the measures taken by ourselves with the activities of the department did not, therefore, take place by reason of the Director’s refusal.
“The Executive of the Vaad Leumi is now considering, together with the Executive of the Jewish Agency, the situation that has arisen by reason of the Director’s attitude.”
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.
