Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1947. Britain And Palestine

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 February 1947, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1947. Britain And Palestine

yi-iE British Government’s decision to refer the whole Palestine problem to the United Nations, without itself making any recommendation as to what course should be pursued in future, opens up some interesting possibilities. Mr. Bevin. in his statement on the position, unfortunately gave no dear indication of the result which his Government hopes to bring about. Apparently the purpose is merely to obtain a recommendation from the United Nations as to what form the final settlement of the problem should take. The British Government is, however, in possession of all the facts, but is obviously unable to make up its mind. It has not decided to give up its mandate. In these circumstances, it is conceivable that it will face an awkward situation if the United Nations Assembly recommends a settlement which it cannot view with favour. Words uttered by Mr. Churchill in 1938, after the Peel Commission’s proposals for partition appeared to have been abandoned, are strikingly applicable to-da). He said: —

Surely this is a case in which the British Government might make up its mind and bring to an end a policy of temporising and drifting. Everything that can be known about Palestine has long ago been in the possession of the Colonial Office .... If paitition is rejected, ought we to throw up our task as insoluble and return the Mandate to the League of Nations? .... We should have to admit that we had tried our best, and that we had found ourselves incapable of discharging our duty. The advocates of this course would no doubt contend that peace and the avoidance ol worry and effort should have precedence over sentimental considerations like national pride and public obligation. But there are serious practical strategic obstacles to such a policy.

The heavy cost in money and manpower of administering the Palestine mandale certainly provides a powerful reason for abandoning a thankless task. But if the British Government desires to rid itself of the mandate, the question immediately arises as to ■who will take Britain s place if both the Arabs and Jews continue with their present attitude. The strategic possibilities if another Power —say, for instance, Russia —were to gain a foothold in the Middle East arc such as to arouse grave concern. No doubt the British Government had this in mind when it decided —despite the almost overwhelming domestic difficulties with which it is laced —merely to seek a. recommendation from the United Nations and not, at this .juncture, to lav down its mandate.