The Bay of Plenty Times FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1947. THE PALESTINE DEADLOCK

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14297, 21 February 1947, Page 2

The Bay of Plenty Times FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1947. THE PALESTINE DEADLOCK

Whether'the-United Nations Organisation will be W successful than, Britain inis been in overcoming ’ie < ano ther sixlock is something which we will not know or a < ■ _ con . months. • Meanwhile the Arabs have mac eice _ c ■, T ‘ ee 0 f sider that they have a very sound claim o e e Arab states in independence as has already been granted o o r m W noint the Middle East. There is a lot to be said for then 1 _• At first with Britain’s help, and later with that-: of Nations, the Kingdom of Iraq was founded * 9 F . It which saw Turkish oppression removed from the Middle East. was freed from all mandatory control in ■-o • e n u ail 0 f Saudi Arabia came into existence under tie i.u 6 0 _ Nejd who was also King of Hejaz. Two years lateiA em env as also recognised as an independent state, ( & . example of the ability of Arab and Jew to live toge lei 11 ‘ amity'under the rule of the former. Since Iraq .oo con . own'affairs fifteen years ago there has been nothing to indicate that the 90,000 Jews within its borders have received anythin,, but 'The desire of the Arabs to treat the Jews fairly (on them own conditions of course), was confirmed six months ago by e _ ecie tary-General of the Arab League, Azzam Pasha, who said: W e are ready to treat the Jews on an equality basis and safeguard their interests as a religious community, and also to give them sae guards as a community represented in the administration o ie country. We want real safeguards so that the Jews will reel that they have their religions and civil rights which cannot be overwhelmed bv an Arab majority. It seems that eventually the Jews as a will have to accept these or similar terms, which could be administered under the benign influence of the United Nations. If the Arabs are sincere, Jews should be able to live in Palestine just as the smaller Jewish community lives in Iraq. The impossibility of pleasing both races is obvious. Each wants an independent state, and each has selected the same piece of land on which to establish it.