ARABS KNOCKED BACK BY U.N.O. COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE ISSUE

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1947, Page 5

ARABS KNOCKED BACK BY U.N.O. COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE ISSUE

NEW YORK, May 1. The Arab States appear* to have lost the first round of their fight for the immediate consideration of Palestine’s independence. A count of hands in the committee of the U.N.O. Assembly indicated that they will be out-voted. An Arab spokesman, however, expressed the determination to carry the fight to the full Assembly. By a vote of eight to one, with five abstentions, the General Committee rejected the original Arab demand that the General Assembly consider the indepence of Palestine immediately. There was an Arab proposal that the independence question be dropped fox* the present, and thus, with procedural difficulties, necessitated a vote.

Egypt fought a lone battle in the General Committee to avert a vote and then cast the only vote foi* the original Arab proposal. France, China, Canada, Ecuador, the United State. Britain, Sweden and Honduras voted against the Arab proposal. Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Russia, Poland and India abstained from voting. The other Arab States except Egypt are not members of the General Committee and (Syria) addressed the Committee in a more conciliatory tone after he conferred privately with the other Arab delegates during the luncheon recess*. He said the Arabs would be willing to postpone the debate on Palestine’s independence if all of the immigration to Palestine were stopped immediately. The Arabs were not insisting on the termination of the British mandate iby any specific date. They simply Iwanted the Assembly to recommend that Britain should prepare to give Palestine its freedom. If the emmigration were stopped the Arabs* did not object to waiting. Mr Hershel Johnson (United States), and Sir Alexander Cadogan (Britain) told the Steering Committee that the Arab proposal would mean a debate without a decision, and would be a poor compromise. The Committee adjourned. The Arab States to-night dropped theix* demand that the U.N.O. General Assembly should considex* now their case for the independence of Palestine.

Mahmoud Hassan Pasha (Egypt) acting as spokesman fox* five Arab States, said that the Arab decision had been made in view ox the appeals that had been made and the sympathy that had been shown for the Arab cause.

India to-day supported the Jewish plea fox* a direct voice in the United Nations Assembly debate oxx Palestine.

The Polish spokesman told reporters that Poland would- move a. formal resolution that the Jewish Agency for Palestine be recognised as an official Jewish representative, and given a voice at the Assembly’s debate.