BRITISH POLICY IN PALESTINE: SHARP CRITICISM

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 August 1947, Page 8

BRITISH POLICY IN PALESTINE: SHARP CRITICISM

LONDON, AligUst 13.. The feeling which the .situation in 'Palestine has aroused in Britain was reflected in. the, debate in the. ‘House .of Commons. .Members on both sides M,the. House cheered . loudly .--.when the .Colonial Secretary. (Mr A. Creech jjjyaes) jjaid: .'“The spate of- malicious abuse-.and- Atilifibation of. Which has, appeared, in some American.'and French newspapers, and. the fritter campaign -pursued by dome American nationals, are intolerable.”

'Labour members joined in Opposition applause when Mr Oliver Stanley (Conservative) said that evacuation was the : only .alternative to partition-. and advocated . that. Britain should quit ...Palestine ..unless the United Nations -took ..prompt. action. - , ...Definite, Plan Required. When the United Nations Assembly considered.,the .question-, in September Britain. ,'h -definite plan,.'Ke ; said... If,the.United Nations disagreed..-.with this. Britain' ..should immediately. stirrorider. the mandate. “I do riot believe that .this, country can continue to carry the burden in blood, treasure, and .labour.. on the lines we have done in Palestine for the last 20 years,” said Mr Stanley. “The peace of the Near East is in the interest of the United Nations. Let them do something to carry the burden.”

A bitter attack upon the Government policy was made by Mr H. Lever (Labour, Manchester Exchange). “I am surprised that the House has allowed the Government to get away With two years of planless, gutless policy in Palestine,” he said. “If the Colonial Secretary goes on much longer in this attitude he will cover his hands with more purposelessly shed blood than any Minister of the Crown in this generation.” .

Platitudes. Condemned Condemning platitudes.such as “We will not flinch,” Mr Lever said that the Cblcrijal Secretary was prepared to flinch, from nothing 'exce'pt the formulation of a.policy. He had an unflinching determination riot, to have any policy, at. all except unflinching determination.

He strongly criticised the action of lhe London Daily Express in publishing p. photograph of the two hanged British sergeants before the bodies were cut 1 down, and. asked whether it was “speculative iricitement to violence.” It was the greatest descent from decent journalism and good taste he had ever seen..

My Michael-Foot (Labour, Devonport) described the situation as “this oloody and futile vendetta,” and ■aid that Britain was morally isolated the Palestine issue.