ARAB PALESTINE EXECUTIVE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24903, 17 June 1946, Page 5

ARAB PALESTINE EXECUTIVE

“LEADERSHIP HELD FOR MUFTI” BRITISH-U.S. TALKS IN PROGRESS (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 15. According to “well-informed Arab circles” quoted by Reuter’s Jerusalem correspondent, the leadership of the new Arab Higher Executive which the Arab League Council appointed for Palestine is being held available for the Grand Mufti, and the deputyleadership is being given to the Mufti’s kinsman, Jamal Husseini. The Arab Higher Executive, it is stated, will be equivalent to an Arab agency, the formation of which was urged by the report of the BritishAmerican Committee of Inquiry. The new body, which will have an annual budget of £1,000,000, will, it is believed, control Arab propaganda organisations and officers in , Cairo, London, and Washington. Semi-official leaflets published by the Grand Mufti’s cousin, Tewfik Salah Husseini, posted throughout Jerusalem and distributed to the Arab populace, yesterday, proclaimed the day a national holiday to be observed annually in celebration of “the safe return of the Grand Mufti to his country.” “Britain will not decide on a policy on the recommendations of the BritishAmerican Committee until the conclusion of discussions between President Truman’s committee and British Government officials,” says d British Foreign Office communique. “The conversations are covering matters arising from each of t the 10 recommendations in the Palestine report. The British Government is most anxious that no time should be lost in pressing on with a constructive solution of this most difficult problem.” Mr Truman, speaking at a press conference, said that the United States was still urging the admission of 100,000 refugee Jews into Palestine. It was trying to work out the problem with Britain. Mr Truman explained that his special Cabinet committee would send a delegation to England to tackle the issues raised by the proposed immigration. Because he had not had official word on the subject, Mr Truman declined to discuss Mr Bavin’s reported statement that the proposal, would be turned down.

Answering a suggestion that more refugee Jews should be admitted to the United States, Mr Truman referred to the immigration laws and said that there was no plart for a change. The Jewish resistance movements underground radio, “Voice of Israel,” detailed alleged British secret plans for disarming the Jewish underground armies. The radio said that documents which had fallen into the hands of tht resistance forces showed that it was the British intention to disarm the Jewish settlements and colonies and make widespread searches of the Jewish quarters of towns throughout Palestine. The radio added that if the British put the plan into action fire would be returned with fire.