RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL

Chronicle (Levin), 27 January 1949, Page 5

RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL

Importance Stressed By Mr. Churchill Received Thursday, 11.15 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 26. ■"The coming into being of a Jewish". State in Palestine is an event in the world to be viewed in the per.spective of 1000, 2000 or even 3000 years/" the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Churchill, declared during the course of the Palestine debate in the House of Commons. "Recognition of Israel is not to be cqmpared with recognition of sorne cquntries with their Communist ha-nditti such as we ai-e resisting in Malaya or the anarchist l'orces the Dptch are trying to resist in Indonesia." Mr. Churchill said that the United States attitude was by no means impeccable in the Palestine qftestion. They should have come t# the British aid two or three yfears ago. -"The British Government did not eiicourage the Arab Governments or forces to attack Israel. I uttered every argument to those Governments not to indulge in this business," Mr. Bevin said. "Britain agreed to King Abduilah's request to send a force to Akaba, but in view of the United Nations arms embargo did not deliver arms to the Arab Legion." Mr. Bevin said he was convinced that one of the biggest contributions to the Rhodes negotiations getting going seriouslv was tne pi.tting of British forces m Akaba. ^'We saw the danger and reacted quickly. I must ask for the support of the whole House and nation that if this area is endangered we will react quickly." Mr. Bevin said that South Africa and Canada had accorded de facto recognition of Israel. New Zealand, Australia, India, Pakistan and Ceylon had not and some of those Governments fiad strong views. He added that His Majesty's Government was . consulting the Commonwealth Governments which had not yet accdrded recog-

nition to Israel, and His Majesty's Government would not announce recognition of Israel until it had heard from them and until after the ?Brussels Treaty Powers' Foreign Ministers had discus&ed the question tomor'row. Any British recognition of Israel would not prejudice the question of boundaries between Israel and her. neighbours. Referring to the sending of R.A.F. reconnaissance planes- over the area the Jews had invaded, Mr. Bevin said that the Cabinet felt tlie flight was the best means of getting correct information as to what was happening. "If we had stood i b.v and done nothing, the position would have got out of hand and we would have been accused for that." Mr. Bevin emphasised the importance of the Asian conference in New Delhi. "We believe that we can maintain a friendly association with the Asiatic peoples, but we must recognise that Asia as represented at the conference ranged from Burma to Turkey and Egypt."