PURPOSE DEFINED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26777, 21 May 1948, Page 5

PURPOSE DEFINED

ARAB ARMIES IN PALESTINE “ FIGHTING ZIONISM TO THE END ” Rec. 10 p.m. LONDON, May 20. The purpose of Arab armies in Palestine was clarified yesterday by-the Arab Leaguels secretary-general, Abdel Rahman Azzam Pasha, in an exclusive statement to the special correspondent of The Times with the Arab Legion. They were not merely defending Palestinian Arabs, he declared, hut were fighting Zionism, and their objective remained as before, namely, the prevention of the establishment of a Zionist State in Palestine. Equally, the Arab attitude towards Jews in Palestine was unchanged. Zionists were seeking to create purely a Jewish State, but the Jews were fighting for a Palestinian State in wnich Jews would have full and equal citizenship, every facility to develop their Jewish life, and every encouragement ,to play a full part in the

building up of a united Palestine. There would be no differences and no discrimination between Arab and Jewish citizens. , , , , The Arabs expected a long and hard struggle, but were resolved to see it. through. When the Zionists decided to terrorise Palestinian Arabs into accepting partition, they made a fatal mistake —they put fear into the hearts of Palestinians, but they also put anger into the hearts of Arab countries and the determination to fight Zionism to the end.