Arabs And Jews Astounded At Committee's Report

Chronicle (Levin), 2 September 1947, Page 5

Arabs And Jews Astounded At Committee's Report

(N.Z.P.A.—

-Reuter,

, Copyright)

Reeeiv.ed Monday, S p.m. JERUSALEM, Sept. 1. The Palestine Committee's majority resolution that roughly 62 per cent. of Palestine should become a Jewish State, astounded Jews and Arabs alilce. The Jews in Tel Aviv can hardly believe that Jaffa is to become part of the Jewish State, saying: Even the Jewish Agency has not asked for this.'' They are bewildered by what they deseribe as the committee's lack * of understanding. Jamal Husseini, vice-chairman of the Arab Higher Organisation, in a telephone message from Cairo to the Arab newspaper in Jerusalem, said the Arabs would fight with all possible means, the co'mmittee's proposals for the partitioning or federalisation of Palestine. The Arabs, with the help of neighbouring Arab countries, would fight to keep Palestine an Arhb country for the Arabs. The apparent inclusion in the proposed Jewish State, of the seaport of Jaft'a with an estimated Arabs-Moslem pojiulation of more than 94,000 and about 28,000 Jews, was the report 's biggest shock for the Palestine Arabs. ".Jaffa has been Arab for 1300 years. It will stav that way. We will reject the report — by force if necessary," said Ishtaq Husseini, kinsman of the Muf'ti of Jerusalem. Leading Jews said the offlcial Jewish comment would eome only from the Jewish Agency executive now meeting in Zurich. The majority report, wlilcn recommends partition with economic union, recommends that Britain should carry on the administration of Palestine under the auspices of United Nations while the Arab and Jewish States go through a two-year transition period, electing constituent assemblies and preparing to sign the treaty of economic union. The Jewish Agency during this period should be responsible for orgaliising tbe immigration oi 150,000 Jews at a uniform monthly rate. Sixty thousand Jews should be admitted annually if the transition period lasts beyond two years. The majority 's plans for the boundaries of the states exclude the city of Jerusalem. The proposed Jewish state ineludes Eastern Galilee, the Esdraelon Plain, niost of the coastal plain, and the whole of the Beersheba sub-district including the Xegeb. The proposed Arab state eomprises Western Galilee, tlie hill country of Samaria and4 Judea (excluding Jerusalem), and the southeru coastal plain to the Egvptian frontier. The majority 's proposal for Jerusalem is that the Unfied Xations Trusteeship Council appoint an impartial governor empowered to niake decisions' on tlie basis of the status quo in eases of disputes between the different coniniunities. .Jerusalem should be included in the economic union.