THE TERROR IN PALESTINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26216, 29 July 1946, Page 4

THE TERROR IN PALESTINE

The explosion which killed or maimed more than 100 people in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem was the culmination of the series of disorders which have lately been instigated by Jewish terrorists throughout Palestine. The fact that a great number of Zionists regarded the activities of these illegal organisations with at least tacit approval made the committing of some such major outrage predictable. This insensate, „shocking murder has revealed to the world the extent to which some factions of Jewry are prepared to go in opposing what they describe as the British occupation of Palestine. It may do something towards achieving the aim of these fanatics—an early settlement of the Palestine problem—but it most emphatically will not further the Jewish claims for favoured consideration in such a settlement. In the House of Commons Mr Attlee, in response to a question by Mr Eden, gave the assurance that the Government of Great Britain intended to take “every possible step to support the local authorities in any action they might take to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.” This statement can be interpreted to mean only that further drastic measures will be taken against the Jews. This use of armed forces may have the effect of quelling disturbances in some degree, and may possibly result in the tracking down of the individuals responsible for the King David Hotel outrage. What it can never do, however, is make a practical contribution towards the satisfaction of Jewish ambitions in the country; nor will it assist to bridge the gulf between the British and the Jews in Palestine. The point was well made by the Manchester Guardian, which stated editorially that “ this brutal murder will inevitably bring fuither repression upon the Jews, but that in turn will only breed further terrorism, so until the Government can agree on a policy to break the vicious circle we should be deceiving ourselves if we did not realise that many humane, moderate Jews will think first with pride of the man who struck the blow. . . What to us is cruel, wanton murder, is to them brave and heroic.’ The fear that stalks unchallenged through the Holy Land to-day can be dispelled only by an early solution to the Arab-Jewish deadlock. It is problematical whether this so-

lution lies in the policy of partition which is reported to have been recommended to President Truman as the result of the Anglo-American discussions in London. The only other plan appears to be the creation of a transitional federal state under United Nations trusteeship. Recent reports suggested that a federal plan was being considered, the proposal being that Palestine should be divided into two semi-autonomous provinces, Jew and Arab, with a central federal Government consisting of Jews, Arabs, and representatives of the mandatory Power. Whatever the ultimate plan may be, it will undoubtedly be opposed by the extremists of both parties in Palestine, but some formula of compromise will have to be evolved and enforced until the two peoples learn to work together for their common advancement.