PALESTINE'S PART

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24011, 8 July 1941, Page 9

PALESTINE'S PART

THE JEWISH EFFORT NONE MORE LOYAL LARGE NUMBER IN FORCES "There is no community which lias been more eager to serve the common cause and to crush Hitlerism—that Hitlerism which has been the greatest enemy of Jewry and of mankind —than tho Jews of Palestine," said I)r. S. Lowv, addressing the Hotarv Club yesterday on "The Palestine War Effort." Dr. Lowy, who has lived for the past 18 years in Palestine, is visiting New Zealand on behalf of the Jewish Agency for Palestine. Ho recalled how on the day of the outbreak of war Dr. Weizmann had declared that his people placed themselves "under the co-ordin-ating direction of Ilis Majesty's Government," and showed how that pledge had been fulfilled. On the day after Dr. Weizmann's message to Mr. Chamberlain had been published 136.000 out of the population of 500,000 Jews in Palestine spontaneously volunteered for service on land, on the sea and in the air, said Dr. Lowy. Over 4000 Palestine Jews fought with tho British Expeditionary Force in France, and were afterwards sent to Libya. Up to the end of April over 9000 Jews of Palestine had fought in Libya, Eritrea, Greece and Crete. Fifteen hundred of them were in the Jtoyal Air Force, and they had won great appreciation from Sir Archibald Wavell and other commanders. It might be assumed that most of tho rest of the 136,000 were now with the British forces.

In addition to the fighting men there were hundreds of Jewish volunteers employed as doctors, engineers and technicians with the British Army. Hundreds of large and small factories throughout Palestine were working exclusively for British military purposes, and the potash works by the Dead Sea were on the same basis. Under the slogan "Digging for Victory," every available acre of land in Palestine had been used to produce, especially vegetables, to aid in the great task of supplying the British armies in the Middle East.

"There is 110 doubt about it," said Dr. Lowy, "that after this war the question of Palestine will again be put on the agenda of the Peace Conference. Not only we Jews of Palestine but those of many other countries trust that Palestine will emerge as a new member of the British Commonwealth of Nations —that Palestine which has given so much to Great Britain and to the forward march of civilisation." Rotarians from other centres welcomed to the gathering w£re Mr. W. J. Brown, of Christchurch, Mr! J. T. Martin, of Wellington, and Mr. S. Annabell, of Dannevirke, and among the other visitors were Messrs. R. J. Story (Melbourne), F. Elsworth (Sydney), J. W. Heinemann (Wellington) and F. Smith (Waikaremoana).