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(b) Whenever, after the expiration of three years from the effective date of this agreement, the General Assembly, upon recommendation of the Trusteeship Council, shall agree upon a plan of government for Palestine which is approved b.y a majority of both the Arab and Jewish communities of Palestine by means of a plebiscite conducted by the Governor-General." It will be observed that the termination of this proposed trusteeship was to depend in both cases upon agreement between the Arabs and the Jews, and this provision was, in the light of well-known Arab views, generally interpreted as being, as in fact it was, a negation of partition, and, indeed, of the declaration of policy contained in paragraph 1 above. The plan also contained provisions in outline for a compromise adjustment of immigration and land tenure for the duration of trusteeship. Mr. Austin was followed in debate by Sir Carl Berendsen, New Zealand delegate, who strongly urged that the Assembly uphold and enforce its decision of 29th November, 1947. The problem of implementing the partition plan had, he said, been wilfully ignored by the Assembly at that time, despite earnest appeals from many delegations and in the face of protests and warnings of the Arab members of the United Nations and of the Mandatory. The result of that error was death and outrage in Palestine and a grave risk that the Assembly would lose the public confidence upon which its authority in the last resort depended. If partition with economic union was right in November, it was still right, and no suggestion to the contrary had in fact been made. The only new factor since the November decision was a series of outrages in Palestine by both sides which called for repression by lawful force. If the Assembly allowed its decision to be abandoned because it was challenged by force, the Assembly would be taking on itself a responsibility that would bear tragic fruit for many generations to come. Sir Carl doubted that the force required to implement trusteeship would be less than that required to implement partition, and suggested that if the members of the United Nations were willing each to take its proportionate share in enforcing the one, they should be equally willing to provide their proportionate share to implement the other. In summing up the New Zealand position Sir Carl said : While the New Zealand delegation will continue to support the enforcement of partition through the joint action of all members of the United Nations, we shall nevertheless join in the consideration of any proposal which offers prospects of ending the strife in Palestine and achieving a just settlement between the Jews and the Arabs within a reasonable period. And if it is found possible to achieve a truce between the contending parties on just and reasonable terms, I need not add how warmly such a development would be welcomed by the New Zealand Government.

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