JEWS DECLARE FOR USE OF FORCE TO RUN PALESTINE

Grey River Argus, 24 May 1947, Page 5

JEWS DECLARE FOR USE OF FORCE TO RUN PALESTINE

JERUSALEM. May 22. The Jewish Constituational Assembly carried the following resolution: “The Jewish community in Palestine is determined to- use force for immigration, colonisation and self-protec-tion.” A Jewish Agency spokesman said: “This means that the Jews of Palestine will resort to force —if necessary —to bring Jews to Palestine.” A Jewish Agency spokesman said the Jews had decided to fight the armed Arab gangs allegedly responsible for the murder of 24 Jews in April. He said official leniency with Arabs caught carrying arms waa responsible for systematic murders and hold-ups. The Haganah “combat” units’ attack on Arabs in Fajja village was the first of the counter measures. After a three-day debate in the Jewish elected Assembly, representatives from all Palestine approved the attitude of the Jewish Agency at the United Nations preliminary discussions on Palestine, particularly the stand against the British regime in Palestine and the demand for an independent Jewish State. Mr David Ben-Gurion, chairman of the agency executive, reporting on the United Nations’ discussions said that for the moment the Jews would demand the establishment of a Jewish State in those parts of Palestine which the Jews already inhatjjted, and would suggest for other parts the continuation of the British mandate with Jewish immigration and colonisation.

A military court sentenced Mordecai Laufer, a Jew to seven years’ imprisonment for carrying arms at Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, where a patrol found him in charge of a light truck containing two twoinch mortars, two Sten guns, one Lewis gun, 15 rifles, 15 revolvers and pistols, 25 grenades, four shotguns, and ammunition. ARABS RETALIATE Arabs attacked a Jewish camp at Gaza in retaliation for the Hagannah attack, which resulted in the deaths of seven Arabs. The Arabs attempted to break through the barbed wire fencing surrounding the camp. Jews, who are employed by the War Office, fought off the attackers after an hour’s fight with small arms and hand grenades. Only one Jew was injured.