RACIAL STRIFE IN PALESTINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26749, 19 April 1948, Page 5

RACIAL STRIFE IN PALESTINE

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 10 p.m. NEW YORK, Apl. 17. The United Nations Security Council to-day passed a resolution calling on the Jews and Arabs to cease fire in Palestine and stop any political activity which might prejudice the rights of either party. Nine nations voted in favour of the request that all Governments help in implementing these measures. Russia rejected as one-sided the terms of the proposed truce. Mr Andrei Gromyko told the Council that the proposal was unsatisfactory to the Soviet Union. He then submitted a list of amendments which upheld many of the objections put forward previously by the Jewish Agency. Mr Gromyko demanded that a section be added ordering the immediate withdrawal from Palestine of Arab armed bands. He also said that the references barring Jewish immigrations and halting work on the partition project would have to be deleted. Mr Warren Austin (United States) said he was prepared to accept some of the Jewish Agency’s drafting changes to make it clear that the resolution did not intend to restrict peaceful immigration. Hamal Husseini, representing the Arab Higher Committee, said that if the Council called on the Arabs for a truce they would respond willingly, but they could not sit still while their rights were being attacked. No truce would be effective unless the Jewish terrorist gangs were expelled from Palestine, unless there was an accepted basis for discussing a settlement of the controversy based on democratic principles and the right of self determination, and unless provision was made for maintaining a blockade of the Palestine sea coast to prevent illegal entry of Jews.