ARABS RESENTFUL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26199, 9 July 1946, Page 5

ARABS RESENTFUL

TRUMAN'S REMARKS FUTURE OF PALESTINE JERUSALEM, July 7. “ The Arab Higher Committee wishes to assure President Truman that it is not within his power or jurisdiction, or that of others, to determine the future of this Arab country,” says a statement issued.by the Higher Committee. “ Palestine is not a parcel of merchandise which can be bought in Wall Street for dollars or bartered for Jewish votes. The Arabs are determined to resist any further Jewish immigration.” A member of the committee, Dr ii. F. Khalidi. said that the Higher Committee would be meeting to-morrow to draft a Note demanding the dissolution of the Jewish Agency and threatening civil disobedience if illegal immigration continues. ‘‘The very fact that the British found it necessary to occupy the agency and to arrest its leaders is evidence enough for its dissolution." Dr Khalidi said.

He added that failure to halt illegal immigration would soon result in a spontaneous mass of demonstrations by the Arabs, for which the committee would not accept responsibility. Mr Leonard Stein, President of the Anglo-Jewish Association, in a statement says: “When terrorist acts were succeeded by an open, organised, and potentially formidable challenge to the Government of Palestine, Britain was bound to act or abdicate, and the action was bound to be drastic. It cannot possibly be supposed that Jewish armed formations would be allowed to do as they please.” Mr Stein added that some share of the responsibility must rest with those who on the other side of the Atlantic mingled “their shrill abuse of Britain with incitements to violence.”