INCREASING TENSION IN PALESTINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 February 1947, Page 5

INCREASING TENSION IN PALESTINE

Britain Compelled To Take Precautions (Recd. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 6. There had been increasing tension in Palestine although he was glad to report that there were no fresh outrages since the kidnapping of Judge Windham and Major Collins, said the Colonial Secretary, K Mr. Creech Jones, in the House of Commons this afternoon. He emphasised that the Palestine Government was in no way connected with any pressure being brought to persuade Dov Gruner Io appeal against his death sentence. There had been no further development in the Gruner case, but the terrorists had threatened to take further hostages if Ihe death penalty were carried out.

The administration had been compelled to take all necessary precautions for the safety of the British community, while so far as possible avoiding action which might lead to deterioration of the situation, the Minister continued. The Government would maintain the civil administration as far as possible and impose the minimum necessary restrictions on the activities of civilians. Assistance Refused. Mr. Creech Jones said the Jewish community had refused to assist in preventive requirements or co-oper-ate by giving information. He added that the Palestine Government’s letter of February 3 to the Jewish Agency had been described as an ultimatum, but it was really a request lor an answer to a specific question, namely, whether they were prepared within seven days publicly to call on

the Jewish community to • aid the Government bv co-operating with the police. No formal reply had been received and the prospects for cooperation were not encouraging. The British United Press Jerusalem correspondent says that British troops to-day began, to remove about 4000 people from their homes which have been requisitioned to establish a new security zone. Most of them are Jewish, but. some are Arabs. Search for Terrorist. It is officially stated in Jerusalem that the deputy-commander of the Stern Gang, Isaac Yesternitsky, was one of the five terrorists who last November escaped from a detention camp in Eritrea and may now be trying to reach Palestine. Reuter’s correspondent says that the police have been warned to watch for Yesternitsky.